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PazMiniBits FOR MARCH 2014 ------------------------ John Pazmino NYSkies Astronomy Inc www.nyskies.org nyskies@nyskies.org Introduction
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PazMiniBits welcomes news about home astronomy and other matters
of concern to home astronomers in and near New York City. You may send
PazMiniBits items to 'nyskies@nyskies.org', send them into the NYSkies
Yahoogroup, or give them to me at a NYSkies or other astronomy event.
NYSkies may check with other sources to fill in extra details.
PazMiniBits composes your item as a short newsnote, capturing the
critical details from your item. Where reader interaction is useful, a
contact, like a website, is given.
Frequently asked questions and explanation of PazMiniBits are at
'www.nyskies.org/pmb-faq.htm'.
You may ask for previous PazMiniBits thru 'nyskies@nyskies.org'
because only the current issue is in the website. It is replaced by
next month's issue.
Current News
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Star Regulus on 2014 Mar 20 02:06 EDST is occulted by asteroid
Erigone. Star blinks off over NYSkies land for several seconds, then
shines again as Erigone passes by. Full information and instructions
at 'www.nyskies.org/articles/pazmino/reg-erig.htm'. Timetable for
night of 2014 Mar 19-20, Wed-Thu. All hours are Eastern Daylight
Savings Time.
---------------------------------------------------
OCCULTATION OF REGULUS,2014 MARCH 20, NEW YORK CITY
---------------------------------------------------
EDST | event | remarks
------+---------------------+--------
19:07 | Sun sets | azimuth 91 deg
19:34 | civil twilight | end of daytime work
20:06 | nautical twilight | start of full night in NYC
22:24 | Moon rises | azimuth 109 dwg
23:14 | Regulus on meridian | altitude 61 deg
00:00 | midnight | March 19 --> March 20
02:06 | Erigone-Regulus occ | alt 44 deg, azm 243 deg
03:46 | Moon on meridian | altitude 34 deg
05:58 | Regulus sets | azimuth 286 deg
06:00 | nautical twilight | end of full night in NYC
06:32 | civil twilight | start of daytime work
06:59 | Sun rises | azimuth 271 deg
---------------------------------------------
AARP Magazine, 2014 Feb/Mar has 'Protecting your online data after
you're gone' by Carrie Arnold. She discusses legal and practical
trouble for next-of-kin to continue or retrieve online information
established by their departed ones. Each service has its own rules,
including leaving the material in place for the indefinite future or
zapping everything soonest the subscription expires. One 0 good
strategy is to leave written record of access codes, to be used after
death, so survivors can collect the deceased's material and then close
out the service.
NYC School Chancellor Firen~a dismissed predictions of major snow
storm for 2014 Feb 13 by keeping public schools open. Private schools
and those in LI and NJ closed due to heavy snow and strong wind
during previous night. She justified decision at morning TV news show
by claiming the storm was over and it was now a 'beautiful day'. Scene
flipped to raging storm with deep snowfall on Manhattan.
Sports Illustrated, 2014 'Swimsuit issue' has photos of model Kate
Upton in zero-G. She and crew flew Zero-G company's plane on 2013 Mar
18 from Titusville FL airport. Crew took pix of Upton in weightless
poses and action, AA selection is is assembled into magazine gallery.
NYC astronomers on 2014 Feb 22 were treated to extra NYSkies
Astronomy Seminar! Ted Blank, IOTA, was circulating thru US Northeast
to prepare observers for Regulus-Erigone occultation. NYSkies at first
offered to put him in for regular Mar 7 meeting but he was engaged to
speak in New Hampshire. He showed charts, tables, videos of the
occultation, demonstrated timing methods and software. We had lively
chat with Blank at prelecture supper to discuss assorted situations in
home astronomy.
US Space Command on 2014 Feb 21 announced coming launch of 2 new
spy sats. They are part of Geosynchronous Space Situation Awareness
network, previously a secret project. They, with the others, drift
along geosynch belt to watch and study other geosynch sats. The new
birds lift off in late 2014.
NYSkiers sat 'Mathematical superpowers' conference on 2014 Feb 27-
28 at Jordan Center, NYU. They, with ~20 scholars and historians of
Soviet science discussed interaction of Russia and US during Cold War.
Audience engaged casually like at NYSkies Seminar, heard several short
talks, watched films. Altho themed for maths, meeting covered all
sciences, engineering, technology. John Pazmino & Myrna Coffino,
NYSkies, offered comments from their experience with Soviet Union.
John had show-&-tell selection of books about science under Communism.
Ted Blank, IOTA, toured US Northeast in 2014 Feb to prepare
observers for Regulus-Erigone occultation. He spoke at many astronomy
clubs at their regular or special meetings. On Feb 21 he was at
Rockland Astro Club; Feb 22, NYSkies at extra Seminar; Feb 23, Amat
Obsrs Soc. He continues his shows into mid Mar.
US DARPA in 2014 Feb started looking at other ways to demonstrate
space operations other than its Phoenix program [PMB 13 Dec]. It got
no offers for 'old' satellites to practice on. Alternatives include:
close inspection of sats for insurance claims; replacing failed
components in malfunctioning sats; moving sats stuck in wrong orbit by
launch mishap in intended orbit;
NYSkies Astronomy Seminar in 2014 Feb switched topics in response
to astronomers's needs and wants. Changes were:
----------------------------------------
date | displaced topic | substitute topic
-------+-------------------+-----------------
Feb 7 | 'Gravity' movie | supernova SN2014J
Feb 21 | supernova SN2014J | interactive binary stars
-----------------------------------------------------
IAU on 2014 Feb 27 declared it does not accept names for Mars
craters from Uwingu science-funding org. Uwingu on Feb 26 opened fund-
raising campaign to sell names for ~500,000 nameless Mars crater.
Money collected goes for science grants, including astronomy.
NYSkies Astronomy Seminar on 2014 Feb 7 reviewed eruption and
fading of supernova SN2014J in galaxy M82 [PMB 14 Feb]. We compared
its lightcurve and spectrum with other kinds of eruptions. We saw how
this supernova, a Type-Ia star, came from white dwarf companion of a
binary star. It slowly accumulated material from its mate. It exceded
the Chandasekhar mass limit and suffered destructive explosion. We
recalled views of M82 with neighbor M81 near Big Dipper. Finder charts
showed how the Dipper bowl points to them.Some of us told stories of
observing other supernovae in past decades.
NYSkies Astronomy Seminar on 2014 Feb 21 collected together
several interrelated themes. We learned that probably all novae and
the Type-Ia supernovae form within binary stars. We reviewed the
history of binary stars from discovery in early 1600s, thru postulated
real systems of stars in mid 1700s, to discovery of actual orbital
motion in late 1700s. We traced gradation of binary stars from widely
separated pairs seen as two independent stars to pairs so close they
tidally distort each other. We learned how to extract valuable
parameters of stars form binary stars such as size and mass.
NYC Transit on 2013 Aug 2 closed Montague St tube until 2014 Oct.
Tube carries route R train and was ruined by hurricane Sandy in 2012
Oct. There is NO service AT ALL between Court St and Whitehall St thru
the tunnel. Altho in service since 2012 Dec, its equipment continued
breaking down from salt corrosion. Alternatives and reroutes:
--------------------------
# | line | between
--+--------------+--------
R | NO SERVICE | Whitehall St, Court St
R | Broadway | Whitehall St, Forest Hills (MH-QN segment)
R | Fourth Av | Ft Hamilton, Court St (BK segment)
--+--------------+-----------------------------------
A | Cranberry St | Jay St, Fulton St
C | Cranberry St | Jay St, Fulton St
2 | Clark St | Boro Hall, Wall St
3 | Clark St | Boro Hall, Wall St
4 | Joralemon St | Boro Hall, Bowling Green
5 | Joralemon St | Boro Hall, Bowling Green
--+------------+-------------------------------
Change for alternate routes at Atlantic-Barclays, Fulton St, Jay
St, or Boro Hall
-----------------
Idiotic time shift to EDST is on 2014 Mar 9 02h, Most of us push
clocks AHEAD, FORWARD, one hour when we turn in for the night on the
8th. That way we wake up in the current time setting. Many astronomers
skip this time jump by keeping a certain clock on EST, or GMT, all the
time. One way is to turn off the 'daylight time' switch on your
computer's clock. That way your astronomy programs are always running
on true local time with the correct offset from GMT.
Update on S&T magazine showing effects of Depression. Page count
was held to 88, with rare exception. Ads hovered in mid 60s for most
months. but fell to the 40s in early 2014. Dec 2013 issue showed deep
lapse of press run and small circulation loss, compared with 2012.
+----------+--------+-----+-----+-+--------+---------+---------+
| issue | close | pgs | adv | | issue | copies | sold |
+----------+--------+-----+-----+ +--------+---------+---------+
| 2007 Aug | 07 May | 104 | 114 | | 06 Dec | 151,204 | 86,437 |
| 2007 Sep | 07 Jun | 104 | 112 | | 07 Dec | 144,859 | 89.687 |
| 2007 Oct | 07 Jul | 114 | 110 | | 08 Dec | 142,362 | 86,656 |
| 2007 Nov | 07 Aug | 106 | 116 | | 09 Dec | 100.835 | 76,717 |
| 2007 Dec | 07 Sep | 114 | 116 | | 10 Dec | 116,471 | 81,947 |
+----------+--------+-----+-----+ | 11 Dec | 111,012 | 77.229 |
| 2008 Jan | 07 Oct | 114 | 118 | | 12 Dec | 92,666 | 67,050 |
| 2008 Feb | 07 Nov | 106 | 118 | | 13 Dec | 87,998 | 66,640 |
| 2008 Mar | 08 Dec | 106 | 104 | |
| 2008 Apr | 08 Jan | 98 | 118 | +--------+---------+---------+
| 2008 May | 08 Feb | 98 | 118 |
| 2008 Jun | 08 Mar | 98 | 118 | 'issue' is the cover month.
| 2008 Jul | 08 Apr | 106 | 110 | 'close' is month when issue is
| 2008 Aug | 08 May | 98 | 108 | sent out for printing
| 2008 Sep | 08 Jun | 98 | 110 | 'pgs' is page count, with covers
| 2008 Oct | 08 Jul | 98 | 96 | but not wraps and inserts
| 2008 Nov | 08 Aug | 106 | 98 | 'adv' count from "List of adver-
| 2008 Dec | 08 Sep | 114 | 102 | tisers' in each issue
+----------+--------+-----------+
| 2009 Jan | 08 Oct | 114 | 100 | 'copies' is 'Net press run' in
| 2009 Feb | 08 Nov | 98 | 96 | December issue
| 2009 Mar | 09 Dec | 90 | 96 | 'sold' is 'Total paid circula-
| 2009 Apr | 09 Jan | 88 | 84 | tion' in December issue
| 2009 May | 09 Feb | 84 | 84 |
| 2009 Jun | 09 Mar | 88 | 66 | The Depression set in during
| 2009 Jul | 09 Apr | 88 | 70 | fall 2008 and persisted so far
| 2009 Aug | 09 May | 88 | 66 | in this current month.
| 2009 Sep | 09 Jun | 88 | 66 | S&T is only one of the many
| 2009 Oct | 09 Jul | 88 | 68 | astronomy businesses suffering
| 2009 Nov | 09 Aug | 88 | 68 | from the Depression.
| 2009 Dec | 09 Sep | 88 | 68 |
+----------+--------+-----------+
| 2010 Jan | 09 Oct | 88 | (no advertiser index)
| 2010 Feb | 09 Nov | 88 | 76 |
| 2010 Mar | 09 Dec | 88 | 64 |
| 2010 Apr | 10 Jan | 88 | 70 |
| 2010 May | 10 Feb | 88 | 72 |
| 2010 Jun | 10 Mar } 88 | 68 |
| 2010 Jul | 10 Apr | 88 | 68 |
| 2010 Aug | 10 May | 88 | 62 |
| 2010 Sep | 10 Jun | 88 | 68 |
| 2010 Oct | 10 Jul | 88 | 64 |
| 2010 Nov | 10 Aug | 88 | 72 |
| 2010 Dec | 10 Sep | 88 | 70 |
+----------+--------+-----------+
| 2011 Jan | 10 Oct | 88 | 70 |
| 2011 Feb | 10 Nov | 88 | 70 |
| 2011 Mar | 10 Dec | 88 | 60 |
| 2011 Apr | 11 Jan | 88 | 64 |
| 2011 May | 11 Feb | 88 | 68 |
| 2011 Jun | 11 Mar | 88 | 66 |
| 2011 Jul | 11 Apr | 88 | 62 |
| 2011 Aug | 11 May | 88 | 62 |
| 2011 Sep | 11 Jun | 88 | 60 |
| 2011 Oct | 11 Jul | 88 | 66 |
| 2011 Nov | 11 Aug | 88 | 62 |
| 2011 Dec | 11 Sep | 88 | 66 |
+----------+--------+-----------+
| 2012 Jan | 11 Oct | 88 | 68 |
| 2012 Feb | 11 Nov | 88 | 64 |
| 2012 Mar | 11 Dec | 88 | 58 |
| 2012 Apr | 12 Jan | 88 | 60 |
| 2012 May | 12 Feb | 88 | 68 |
| 2012 Jun | 12 Mar | 84 | 64 |
| 2012 Jul | 12 Apr | 88 | 64 |
| 2012 Aug | 12 May | 88 | 60 |
| 2012 Sep | 12 Jun | 88 | 64 |
| 2012 Oct | 12 Jul | 88 | 66 |
| 2012 Nov | 12 Aug | 88 | 78 |
| 2012 Dec | 12 Sep | 88 | 64 |
+----------+--------+-----+-----+
| 2013 Jan | 12 Oct | 88 | 70 |
| 2013 Feb | 12 Nov | 88 | 58 |
| 2013 Mar | 12 Dec | 88 | 62 |
| 2013 Apr | 13 Jan | 88 | 60 |
| 2013 May | 13 Feb | 88 | 62 |
| 2013 Jun | 13 Mar | 88 | 64 |
| 2013 Jul | 13 May | 84 | 58 |
| 2013 Aug | 13 Jun | 88 | 50 |
| 2013 Sep | 13 Jul | 88 | 54 |
| 2013 Oct | 13 Aug | 88 | 48 |
| 2013 Nov | 13 Sep | 88 | 60 |
| 2013 Dec | 13 Oct | 88 | 50 |
+----------+--------+-----+-----+
| 2014 Jan | 13 Nov | 88 | 60 |
| 2014 Feb | 13 Dec | 88 | 48 |
| 2014 Mar | 14 Jan | 84 | 48 |
| 2014 Apr | 14 Feb | 88 | 42 |
+----------+--------+-----+-----+
2014 Feb was the most winter-like month of year. By Feb 15 NYC
suffered on full meter of snowfall, mixed with freeze and thaw. More
snow by month end added half meter more. Ground accumulation was
moderated by warming spells between snowfalls. Observing on clear
nights was inhibited by cold air and wind.
NYC Mayor deBlasio on 2014 Feb 2 caused 6 more weeks of winter!
At Groundhog Day show at Staten Is Zoo he held up official US
groundhog and fumbled him onto the ground! Critter, dazed and shaken,
saw his shadow, killing chance of an early spring.
New television astronomy series 'Cosmos' debuts on 2014 Mar 9!
It's carried on channels in FOX network on 13 Sundays. check your
viewing guide for times. 'Cosmos' is complete remake of original Sagan
'Cosmos' of 1980. Sagan widow Ann Druyan worked on it with Dr Neil
Tyson doing most narration.
Dr Brian Greene, Columbia U, &a on 2014 Feb 20 started new free
online tuition on sciences. Web has material for most usual
disciplines. Sessions are on several levels from descriptive and
popular to college courses. 'www.worldscienceu.com'.
Earth Hour is pm 2014 Mar 29, 20:30-21:30 EDST. NYSkies include
Earth Hour in GLOBE at Night. Please do a reading shortly before
20:30, at around 21:00, and shortly after 21:30. There could be a
noticeable change in transparency when excess illuminations are turned
off as part of reducing carbon-emission.
Russia on 2014 Feb 19 revealed it nay take over bankrupt Sea
launch company and run it as part of its own space program. Firm was
in US Chap 11 state since 2010. If plan goes thru, Russia moves
operations from Long Bh CA to Pacific coast port in Russia.
NYC Transit in 2014 Jan starts new round of FasTrack project [PMB
14 Jan] to repair subway lines around NYC. Project closes segments of
lines on certain Mon-Thu nights to simplify work with no interference
from trains. Closing starts at 22h on each day and ends at 05h on next
day. They do not interfere with NYSkies Seminars because normal
service is restored at 05h on Fridays, a half-day before the Seminar.
Schedule below:
------------------------------------------------------------
2014 | line | north endpoint | south endpoint
----------+----------------+----------------+---------------
Jan 13-16 | Upper Broadway | Dyckman St | 96 St/Broadway
Jan 20-23 | 53 St | Queens Pz | 5 Av/53 St
do | Queens Bv | Roosevelt Av | Queens Pz
Jan 27-30 | Eastern Py lcl | Atl'c-Barclays | Franklin Av
Feb 3- 6 | Fulton St | Hoyt-Scherm'n | Broadway Jc
Feb 10-13 | Fulton St | Hoyt-Scherm'n | Broadway Jc
Feb 24-27 | Rutgers St | 2 Av/Lwr E S | Jay St/Metrotech
Mar 3- 6 | Montague St | Canal St upper | Whitehall St
do | Broadway | 57 St/7 Av | Prince St
do | 60th St + Queensboro Pz | 5 Av/59 St
Mar 10-13 | 6 Av | 57 St/6 Av | 14 St/6 Av
Mar 24-27 | Upper Broadway | Dyckman St | 96 St/Broadway
May 6- 8 | Fulton St | Hoyt-Scherm'n | Broadway Jc
May 12-15 | Crosstown | Bedford-Nost'd | Bergen St
May 19-22 | 8 Av | 168 St | 59 St/Columbus Cr
Jun 2- 5 | Montague St | Canal St upper | Whitehall St
do | Broadway | 57 St/7 Av | Prince St
do | 60th St + Queensboro Pz | 5 Av/59 St
do | Manhattan Bg | Canal St lower | DeKalb Av
Jun 9-12 | Rutgers St | 2 Av/Lwr E S | Jay St/Metrotech
Jun 16-19 | 4 Av | 36 St | 95 St/Ft Hamilton
Jun 23-26 | Eastern Py lcl | Atl'c-Barclays | Franklin Av
Jul 21-25 | 53 St | Queens Pz | 5 Av/53 St
do | Queens Bv | Roosevelt Av | Queens Pz
Jul 28-31 | 8 Av | 168 St | 59 St/Columbus Cr
Aug 11-15 | 8 Av | 59 St/Col's Cr | Chambers st & WTC
do | Cranberry St | Fulton St | Jay St/Metrotech
Sep 8-11 | Crosstown | Bedford-Nost'd | Bergen St
Seo 29-Oct 2 | 4 Av | 36 St | 95 St/Ft Hamilton
Oct 27-30 | Lexington Av | Grand Central | Brooklyn Bg
do | Joralemon St | Brooklyn Bg | Atl'c-Narclays
Nov 3- 6 | 53 St | Queens Pz | 5 Av/53 St
do | Queens Bv | Roosevelt Av | Queens Pz
Nov 10-13 | Rutgers St | 2 Av/Lwr E S | Jay St/Metrotech
Nov 17-20 | Montague St | Canal St upper | Whitehall St
do | Broadway | 57 St/7 Av | Prince St
do | 60th St + Queensboro Pz | 5 Av/59 St
do | Manhattan Bg | Canal St lower | DeKalb Av
Dec 1- 4 | 7 Av | 34 St/Penn Sta | Chambers St
do | Clark St | Chambers St | Atl'c-Barclays
do | South Ferry | Chambers St | South Ferry
---------------------------------------------------------
Dr Neil Tyson, Hayden Plm, on 2014 feb 24 did his live 'StarTalk'
show at Brooklyn academy of Music, He spoke about various current
topics in astrophysics, then took questions from audience. Show was
sold out days ahead and every set was filled, Other live events are
planned in future months around NYC.\
Amer Instt of Aeronautics & Astronautics on 2014 Feb 20 offered
talk on human-based space serving missions. It was at Bethpage Publ
Liby,Bethpage LI, NYSkiers and other astronomers and space fans on LI
attended. AIAA in late Feb issued schedule of future presentations,
all at Hofstra Univ, Hempstead LI.
A box truck was stolen on 2014 Feb 12 ~05:30 EST from 16 St & 7
Av. It blew red light south in 7 Av and smashed into an east bus in 14
St. Collision killed bus driver. The two vehicles slided into building
on on SE corner of 14 St/7 Av, down street from McBurney House. They
ripped thru scaffolds and interior walls and columns. Five people,
with truck's thief, were injured. Some NYSkiers saw the scene on the
way to Ted Blank's talk on Feb 22 afternoon. .
GLOBE at Night had its 2nd round on 2014 Feb 20-28 Some
astronomers pass up sky reading if there are clouds, as if to exclude
these nights form consideration. This is a BIG MISTAKE. One of the
benefits of a continuous GaN database it to chronicle the overall sky
quality. It rids the problem of recalling nights even a week ago with
any confidence. Those nights fall into hearsay and assertions. 3rd
session is on Mar 21-30. 'www.nyskies.org/gannyc.htm'.
Copyright 2007, NYSkies Astronomy Inc General inquiries: nyskies@nyskies.org |
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