March 2020

One of the prettiest stars in the winter evening sky has to be Rigel, the bright blue-white “foot” of the constellation Orion the Hunter. Actually, it is hard to say which is the prettiest star. After all, aren’t all stars beautiful? Rigel just happens to be among the brightest to our eyes and shows a hint of color.

This winter of 2020, Rigel is enjoying more prominence than normal, with the ordinarily, brilliant star Betelgeuse, being unusually dim this season its red hue not even as noticeable to unaided eyes. In fact, Betelgeuse is currently comparable in brightness to the three stars marking Orion’s “Belt.” That leaves Rigel as the only very bright star, above +1st magnitude, in the constellation.

Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations in the Heavens, and dominates the southern sky on February evenings. The Belt of Orion is flanked by prominent stars making up a tall rectangle. Betelgeuse is at top left; Rigel is at bottom right. Orion the mythological Hunter is typically pictured as facing us. Rigel would be his “left foot”.

Also referred to as Beta Orionis, Rigel is the seventh brightest star in the night sky. Its visual magnitude is 0.13. Located 860 light years from here, it takes that many years for Rigel’s light to reach our eyes. In other words, The Rigel you see tonight is actually Rigel as it appeared in A.D. 1160. If Rigel blew up as a supernova tonight we wouldn’t realize it till 2880.

The star is a blue-white supergiant, 120,000 times as luminous as the Sun and 74 times as large. Rigel also varies its brightness slightly, in an irregular pattern. There is another star traveling the galaxy with Rigel, referred to as Rigel B. It is 500 times fainter than Rigel but a telescope of only 3” aperture and 150X may resolve the pair, if the air is steady. Rigel B in turn also has two stars in its own stellar system.

Like so many stars, the name Rigel is Arabic. The name refers to the left foot of “Jauzah,” a proper name that was given to the Orion figure. Its been known by many names around the world.

• • Norse mythology lists a star known as Aurvandil’s toe” and may be the same as Rigel.

  • In Japan, the Genji clan picked Rigel as its symbol and called it Genji-bosh.

  • The Wojobaluk people of southeastern Australia knew Rigel as Yerredet-Kurrk, mother-in-law of a bright star we see in summer evenings, Altair.

  • Some Maori groups in New Zealand marked the start of the New Year with Rigel’s first appearance as it rises in the dawn sky.

  • The Lacandon people, a Mayan group from Central America, referred to Rigel as Tunsel, which means “little woodpecker.”

How about Orion’s other foot? The star we see on the left side is Saiph. Betelgeuse marks Orion’s shoulder, on the left as we see it. The shoulder star on the right is Bellatrix. The three Belt Stars, from left to right are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. A fainter star on top, between Betelgeuse and Bellatrix but higher, is seen as Orion’s head. this star is known as Meissa.

(Note: Orion’s stars on the left or right are referenced as we see them in the Northern Hemisphere. From below the Equator, Orion appears “upside down” from the way we are used to seeing it!)

Full Moon is on February 8-9. (Also known as the Super Snow Moon)

Be sure to see the very bright planet Venus in the southwestern sky the next clear evening.

Keep looking up!

…

Peter Becker is Managing Editor at Tri-County Independent. in Honesdale, PA. Notes are welcome at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com.

________________________________________________________

This month there's a new addition to the newsletter. We're starting a series of brief stories and essays contributed by BAS members. They'll fall into two categories -- 1) BAS history, and 2) unique and interesting astronomical experiences. We hope that many members will contribute their own stories and essays by emailing them to jrgrismore@cableone.net .

___________________________________________________________

BAS From The Past

Brief essays about the history of the Bartlesville Astronomical Society.

Club Hibernation

by John Grismore

As young employees at Phillips Petroleum in the mid-1970s, my co-worker, Walker Manley (Sonny), and I discovered that we had a common interest in astronomy. We had a few friends with a passing interest, but none serious enough to go stargazing, talk telescopes or experiment with simple astrophotography. A casual search for a local astronomy club turned up nothing. The Examiner-Enterprise wasn’t publishing any club announcements and no one at the public library had any information. At the time there was no Google (or even AltaVista, if you remember that one) for searching, or even any public internet.

We talked about starting a Bartlesville club, but settled on the simpler solution of joining the Astronomy Club of Tulsa. ACT mailed a mimeographed monthly newsletter with a custom, current star chart for the Tulsa area, carefully hand-drawn by Louis Desjardan. The first Friday evening of the month Sonny and I and our wives would attend the ACT meeting in a sound studio in Art Sweeney’s backyard. It was an interesting group, and gave us a chance to connect with others who shared our interest in amateur astronomy, but as time passed, the commute to Tulsa became less enjoyable (highway 75 was two lane in those days), and we went to ACT meetings less and less.

Sky & Telescope magazine continued to be our primary source of information. At some point, Sonny found a list of clubs in S&T, and noticed the entry “Bartlesville Astronomical Society (2)” with some additional contact information. Turns out there was a local astronomy club (since 1958), but the (2) in the club list entry meant there were only 2 members. We followed up the contact information and talked to E.L. Clark on the phone, who was a bit surprised, but excited to find out we were interested in BAS.

Sonny and I later met with Mr. Clark at his house on South Johnstone and had a very interesting and enjoyable conversation. He was the senior member (of the two), retired, and struggling with Parkinson’s disease, but still maintained a positive outlook and an eager enthusiasm for astronomy. The Moonwatch program and the founding and early days of BAS were subjects he relished recalling, and he showed us his 2.4”, f/15 refracting telescope (which was bequeathed to BAS after his death). Mr. Clark also told us about the junior member of the club, a young man named Ken Willcox, who had been an observer on the Bartlesville Moonwatch project and an early member of BAS during his high school years. Ken had recently returned to his hometown of Bartlesville to work as a polymer chemist at the Phillips Research Center.

Near the end of our conversation we asked about meetings, but Mr. Clark said with only two members, there were no meetings. Activities? — the two of them would get together and talk astronomy occasionally. Dues? — nope. Finally, we asked, “why have you bothered to continue the club listing?”

“To keep our club discounts to Sky and Telescope,” he replied.

I don’t remember exactly when Sonny and I first met Ken, but he was already making plans to bring the club out of hibernation. Over the next couple of years, BAS revived and grew into an active and busy amateur astronomy club. Membership has waxed and waned since that time, but I’m always impressed whenever I think about how much the club has accomplished since then.

If you would like to share recollections, thoughts or a story about the club’s past, please submit a brief essay to jrgrismore@cableone.net.

_________________________________________________________________________

Kristi and Derek have created a separate BAS email address where members and non-members alike can provide the club with their comments, suggestions and ideas. Hopefully, this will provide us with additional information about what we can do better.

The email address is bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com .

This email is to inform the Bartlesville Astronomical Society, that registration for MSRAL 2020 scheduled for June 12th-14th in Jenks, Oklahoma is officially live. https://msral2020.wixsite.com/register4msral2020

You will notice speakers are still being confirmed which also means an actual program schedule is still in progress. However, the keynote speaker is the only one listed.

A new opportunity is that there will be a separate youth MSRAL conference that will be held at the same time. This conference is for high school students 9th to 12th grade and will be run by high school senior, Abby Bollenbach also AL’s 2018 Horkheimer Smith Award winner. The goal is to be inclusive for accessible students since the building is accessible, but the program is being designed to offer an astronomical experience for blind/legally blind as well as deaf/hearing impaired students.

So far, the program under consideration is the construction of an origami buckey ball, observing, solar observing and student talks. Nothing is set in stone and is still being finalized. So, if you have a 9th-12th grader, please encourage them to come since nice giveaways have been gathered just for the youth.

To book a hotel room at our special rate of $79.00 at The Crowne Plaza, go to the “Venue” tab and scroll to the picture of The Crowne Plaza and click on the yellow booking button. That will take you directly to The Crowne Plaza where you are able to select a king, or a double room at our special rate.

To register, please go to the “Registration by PayPal” tab. Each transaction will require a name and club affiliation because not everyone will purchase all the meals. The shopping cart will take you to PayPal where the transaction will be completed. If you have dietary concerns or have questions, please go to the bottom of the “Home Page” to the “Contact Us” form. However, if you are sending in your registration by mail, please add any comments on dietary issues or concerns on the registration form located in the “Printable” tab. My personal address is at the bottom.

There are printable maps in the “Printable” tab as well as maps of restaurants near the conference site and The Crowne Plaza. There are $10.00 breakfast vouchers free upon request at the front desk but there are many breakfast places nearby if you so desire.

We look forward to seeing you in June and we are confident that you will have a great time here in Oklahoma.

Sincerely,

Peggy Walker

MSRAL 2020 Conference Chair

BA Sidewalk Astronomer

Rick & Peggy Walker

918-960-0076

BASidewalkAstro@yahoo.com

www.BASidewalkAstro.com

www.facebook.com/BASidewalkAstronomer

www.twitter.com/BASidewalkAstro

www.youtube.com/BASidewalkAstro

BAS Historical Materials Needed

In conjunction with the upcoming BAS Library Display, an effort is being made to locate as much historical club material as possible. Only a small part of the material will be included in the display, but we need to centralize all historical club information. If you know the location of, or have any access to old club photos, newspaper clippings, articles or other historical materials, or if you have memories or recollections of past BAS events or information, please contact John Blaesi or John Grismore. Thanks.

The BAS now has storage at First Christian Church for club equipment and records. We are trying to consolidate and we are requesting any members with club equipment or records to contact one of the officers to arrange to move the items to storage and log it into our inventory.

Fantastic ALCORS,

Save the Date! ALCON 2020 will be held in Albuquerque, NM, July 16 – 18.

The conference is hosted by The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS), and we are excited to welcome the astronomical community to Albuquerque. I am attaching a flyer & information package for event. Both can be found at the bottom of our website: TAAS Home Page Check back frequently for updates.

Apps for Consideration

Distant Suns, your personal guide to the cosmos, lists Night Sky Network astronomy club star parties, safe solar gazing events, and lectures in the main navigation bar. Distant Suns is available for Android, Apple iOS, Kindle, and Nook.

SkySafari, a powerful planetarium that fits in your pocket, lists Night Sky Network astronomy club star parties, safe solar observing events, and lectures in the help menu. SkySafari is available for Android and Apple devices and computers.

Family Fun with Sky Watching

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/stargazing-basics/family-projects-and-experiments/

Clear Sky Predictor for Bartlesville: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/BrtlsvlOKkey.html

Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/

What Snuffed Out Star Formation in This “Monster” Galaxy?

By: Monica Young | February 20, 2020 | Comments 1

Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that formed five times as many stars as the Milky Way within 2 billion years after the Big Bang — but then quickly quelled any further starbirth.

New Horizons Reveals Full Picture of Arrokoth…and How Planets Form

By: Javier Barbuzano | February 18, 2020 | Comments 0

New Horizon’s flyby of Arrokoth, a planetesimal in the Kuiper Belt, reveals a pristine object untouched since the solar system’s origin. Its shape and geology show that planetesimals form more gently than previously thought.

Is Betelgeuse Approaching a Crossroads?

By: Bob King | February 14, 2020 | Comments 23

Astronomers all over are waiting with bated breath to see what Betelgeuse will do next. Is it going to start brightening again on February 21st? Or will it continue to surprise?

Parker Solar Probe Releases New Details on Solar Wind

By: Monica Young | February 11, 2020 | Comments 0

Scientists release a bevy of results from the Parker Solar Probe's first two passes near the Sun, including new details on so-called "rogue waves" in the solar wind.

A Detailed View of Our Second Interstellar Visitor

By: AAS Nova | February 11, 2020 | Comments 0

What do we know about the second object to visit us from another stellar system? Detailed Hubble images have given us plenty to consider! Extrasolar Guests Among Us When asteroid 1I/‘Oumuamua tore through our solar system last year, it was a one-of-a-kind event: the first time we had observed an object from another stellar system…

New Solar Orbiter Mission Launches Successfully

By: David Dickinson | February 10, 2020 | Comments 0

The Solar Orbiter mission took to the skies Sunday evening and will join ongoing efforts to understand our host star.

Pluto’s Icy Heart “Beats,” Driving Planet-Scale Winds

By: Julie Freydlin | February 7, 2020 | Comments 1

New computer simulations suggest that the "beating" of Pluto's frozen heart drives weak winds on this remote world in the outer solar system.

White Dwarf’s Whirlwind Spin Drags Spacetime

By: Govert Schilling | January 30, 2020 | Comments 0

Astronomers have used observations of a tight white dwarf-neutron star pair to confirm an aspect of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Spitzer’s Legacy: One of NASA’s Great Observatories Ends Its Mission

By: Michael Werner Tom Soifer | January 30, 2020 | Comments 0

NASA’s premier eye on the infrared sky is shutting down after operating more than three times longer than designed.

SpaceX Launches Fourth Starlink Batch; Concerns Remain

By: Monica Young | January 29, 2020 | Comments 4

Concerns about the night sky remain as the fourth batch of Starlink satellites — and the second one to be launched within the span of a month — takes flight.

The Latest on Betelgeuse, Plus a Bright Supernova and New Comet Iwamoto

By: Bob King | January 29, 2020 | Comments 3

The sky provides. This winter, the fading of Betelgeuse caught us all by surprise. Now, as January wraps up, we can add a new comet discovery and a supernova bright enough to see in a 6-inch telescope to an ever-growing list of seasonal sky wonders.

See Ancient “North Stars” Eclipse Each Other

By: Monica Young | January 23, 2020 | Comments 1

The ancient pole star known as Thuban turns out to be an eclipsing binary. If you're up for a challenge, you can see the eclipses for yourself.

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events

(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html)

February 23 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 15:33 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

March 9 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 17:48 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. This moon has also been known as the Full Crow Moon, the Full Crust Moon, the Full Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon. This is also the second of four supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

March 20 - March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at 03:50 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 24 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 09:29 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

March 24 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 27.8 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

March 24 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 46.1 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset.

April 8 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 02:35 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Full Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. This is also the third of four supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The nearly new moon will ensure dark skies for what should be a good show this year. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

April 23 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 02:27 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html)

Next Month's BAS Meeting: April 6, Monday. Bartlesville Public Library Meeting Room A (tentative), Presenter: TBA

Newsletter Contributions Needed

Our club newsletter is reaching more people each month, and member contributions in the form of short articles, interesting news items, alerts of upcoming astronomical events or activities, descriptions of personal observations or useful equipment, and observing tips, are encouraged. Recurring columns or multi-part articles are also welcome. Please submit your contributions to Mike Woods or to bvilleastro@gmail.com.

Bartlesville Astronomical Society is an organization of people interested in astronomy and related fields of science. Membership is open to everyone interested in any aspects of astronomy.

Elected Officers