Skip's Space Blog
In this blog I will try to link to some important sites, add information about current space missions or give you my thoughts on astronomy. Scouts may want to use the blog posts as a source for activities/observations/research into astronomy and will help you complete your Astronomy Badge Workbook.
Sun Storm Batters Earth
Author: Steven Hunter | Date: 10-03-2012
Earlier this week a storm on the sun's surface caused a huge amount of hot gas to break away from the Sun and charge straight towards Earth. Fortunately there was little or no damage to Earth or satellites however this is just one of many more to come.
The Sun is over a million times bigger than Earth. The event on the 4th March was a "Coronal Mass Ejection" (CME) and cause an amount of gas about the size of the Earth to be spewed into space and directly towards us:
The Earths magnetic field forms a shield from such events and most of the gases are deflected harmlessly around us... but... some material makes it through and can cause satellites to fail (in rare cases electricity supplies can be affected too).
Some of the hot gases also make it to the polar regions where it can cause "AURORA". Sometimes, when the hot gases are moving really fast aurora can be seen in the UK.
The sun goes through a cycle (called the solar cycle) like we get cycles of the seasons. The sun is coming towards it most active time over the next 2 years. Sun storms and CMEs are going to be more regular - so expect to see more stories in the news.
Scouts - The solar cycle means that our sun is getting more active. Can you find out how long (in years) the solar cycle is? When is it likely to be most active (also known as the "solar maximum")?
I used the term "aurora". Can you find out what the common name is for the aurora in the northern hemisphere? What about the southern hemisphere? Maybe you could print a picture and stick it in your workbook.
Jupiter and Venus in March
Author: Steven Hunter | Date: 28-02-2012
In mid-March you will see a fantastic sight with the two brightest night sky objects (except the moon) getting closer and closer together.
If you look west after sunset you will see what appears to be two very bright stars. These are, in fact, the planets Venus and Jupiter. In early March you will see these planets and the waning (disappearing) moon.
In mid March (around the 12th to the 15th) the planets will be at their closest.
This is quite a rare sight and one that won't be repeated for quite some time.
Later in the month (25th Mar) the same planets and the waxing moon will appear close together. Still in the west just after sunset and into the early evening you will see the two planets, the moon, and Pleaides close together. Take a look with a reasonable pair of binoculars slightly above the two planets to see Pleaides in it's full glory. Pleaides is a star cluster and through binoculars is a wonderful sight.
SCOUTS - Here are some ideas for your observations and/or research. Make a note in your Astronomer Workbook:
I've used the term "waxing" to describe the moon - find out what waxing and waning refers to when your talking about the moon.
Can you see Pleaides? How many stars can you see?
If you have binoculars take a look at the two planets. Can you see any moons (small dots close to the planets)? How many do you see?
For some of your observations just get outside on a few evenings (preferably once a week) and write down what you see. Are the planets getting closer or further away from each other and on which dates?
Orion
Author: Steven Hunter | Date: 15-02-2012
Let's take a look at one of the constellations in the night sky - Orion (the hunter).
On a clear night in the early evening in winter or early spring (obviously after the sun has set) if you look south you will see Orion.
There are a number of really cool things to see in Orion. Some of these things should be obvious with the naked eye. The top left star is called "Betelgeuse" (pronounced beetle-juice). This is a supergiant star nearing the end of its life. At any moment the star is due to go supernova which will make it a very bright star and will challenge the moon for it's brightness and will even be visible during the day. This could happen tomorrow or any time in the next 10,000 years... in terms of the age of the universe this is very soon indeed. At the bottom right is a star called "Rigel" - this star is not as big, but is also an old star close to the end of its life.
The left most star in Orions belt (the three stars in a row in the middle) is where you will find the "Horse Head" nebula. This is a huge cloud of glowing gases but there is a dark gap in the cloud the shape of a horses head.
Hanging from the belt are three more stars (slkightly dimmer). If you look at these stars, on a very dark night, with binoculars you will see a smudge. This is the Orion Nebula with more glowing clouds. With a telescope it's possible to see hundreds of very young stars - the Orion nebula is where lots of new stars are forming.
There are tons of other things to see in Orion including M43, M78, as well as multiple stars including Iota Orionis and Sigma Orionis.
SCOUTS - take a look at Orion and make a note of the colour of Betelgeuse and Rigel. Why do you think they are different colours? Make a note in your Astronomers Badge workbook.
Since most of you don't have a telescope try using the Microsoft Worldwide Telescope. There's a section under "Skip's Space Blog" in the menu that explains how to start using it. Find Orion and zoom in on the belt and the stars just below. Make a note of what you see in your Astronomers Badge workbook.
