APOD: A Ruptured Cometary Globule

A beautiful sight, what is the story behind it? The above picture is of a cometary globule that has ruptured. Cometary globules typically appear similarly to comets due to their dusty heads and elongated tails. The cause for the rupture in the head of this globule in unkown

APOD: Jupiter's Great Red Spot From Voyager I

In the past few years, the size of Jupiter's Red Spot seems to be accelerating, despite previous belief that the spot was shrinking. The storm that is Jupiter's red spot is bigger than Earth. This great spot was not expected and not understood when discovered. The image above is a digitally enhanced photo taken by Voyager I in 1979

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140518.html

Quarter: Bart Bok Biography

Bart Bok Biography

        

         Bart Bok was born on April 28^th 1906 in Hoorn. His family moved to The Hague because of his father's position as a sergeant for the Dutch army. The Hague was known for quality education for mathematicians and physicists. Bok first took interest in astronomy at a young age, upon realizing he could not identify a star in the sky. His interest in astronomy only grew from there. In 1924, he enrolled at the University of Leiden, there he built upon the work of Harlow Shapely.*At an International Astronomical Union meeting Bok had the opportunity to meet Shapely, there, he also met a fellow astronomer and the woman who would become his wife, Dr. Priscilla Fairfield. Bart Bok married Priscilla in 1929. In 1929, Bok also began work at Harvard, following that job Bok was appointed director of Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia, he worked there for nine years before returning to the U.S. and becoming director of Steward Observatory. Bart Bok was not considered a U.S. citizen until 1938.

*An American astronomer who discovered that we were not located in the center of the Milky Way by using Cepheid variable stars

           Bart Bok is best known for his studies that determined the shape of our galaxy and his studies on the formation of stars. The dark, nebulous globules that house star development have been named "Bok Globules", accrediting him for his contributions. Bok first took interest in the mass of swirling gases surrounding Eta Carinae. He questioned why some, smaller nebulae were strewn apart and dispersed while others appeared to be more enduring; to explain this, Bok proposed that rotating galaxies could produce gravity capable of causing waves throughout the Milky Way that could tear smaller nebulae apart. In 1947, technical assistant, Edith Reilly, asked Bok to study dark nebulae alongside of her. Bok agreed to do so because of his interest in the matter. Bok and Reilly photographed, cataloged, and analyzed dark nebulae over the next few years. From this, Bok gathered that these dark nebulae are the birthplaces of young stars, that the clouds of debris would start to swirl and collapse under their own gravity, causing stellar fusion. Bart Bok is best known for his studies that determined the shape of our galaxy and his studies on the formation of stars. The dark, nebulous globules that house star development have been named "Bok Globules", accrediting him for his contributions.

In the late 1950s, astronomers began using telescopes designed for radio waves and discovered evidence supporting Bok's thesis. The only issue was the lack in communication of discoveries between nations due to loss of trust post World War II. Bart Bok was not discouraged by this problem and formed what would later become the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Bok produced many astronomical works throughout his life, some of the most notable in his later years. In 1975 Bok coauthored the statement Objections to Astrology, this was endorsed by 186 astronomers, astrophysicists, and other scientists, including nineteen winners of the Nobel Prize and also wrote The Milky Way, with his wife, Priscilla. Bok was very well liked and well received by fellow astronomers. In 1983, the asteroid, Asteroid 1983 Bok was named in his honor, Bok died of a heart attack later that year.

Quarter 4 Biography-Bart Bok Sources

http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/bart-jan-bok/

http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/4518_1.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/71903/Bart-J-Bok

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bok-bart-jan-129

http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/bart-bok.pdf

Quarter 4 Astronomy Observations Part One

Monday April 7, 2014                                  8:00-10:00

Location: Sarasota, FL

Instruments used: Naked eye, binoculars

Weather: Good

Visibility: Fair – some low lying clouds

Moon Phase: First Quarter

Stars: Alphard, Aldebaren, Rigel, Gamma Leonis, Castor, Pollux, Betelguese

Planets: Jupiter

Constellations: Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Orion, Hydra

Observations: A pretty night, nice for observing,

Monday, April 14, 2014                   2:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m.

Location: Sarasota, FL

Instruments used: Naked eye, binoculars

Weather: Good

Visibility: Great

Moon Phase: Full Moon, woke up to see “blood moon” eclipse

Stars:

Planets:

Constellations:

Observations: Best view 3:06 a.m. great visibility full eclipse – more red hue when viewed with the naked eye – well worth getting up for. I’m sure there were also constellations to be recorded, however I woke up to sit out and watch the blood moon, in other words this is not my most detailed observation.

Monday, April 21, 2014                               8:00-10:00

Location: Sarasota, FL

Instruments used: Naked eye, binoculars

Weather: Good

Visibility: Great

Moon Phase: Last Quarter

Stars: Regulus, Spica, Cor Caroli, Gamma Leoni, Alpha Centauri, Beta Centauri

Planets: Jupiter

Constellations: Centaurus, Gemini, Virgo, Leo, Leo Minor, Canes Ventici

Observations: Another successful observation night, studying the last of the constellations allowed me to identify Alpha Centauri

APOD: Warped Sky: Star Trails over Arches National Park

It looks to cool to be real but in its own way; it is. The photo here was created using a time-warp. The time warp occured due to digital exposure to the night sky over a span of 2.5 hours. The comings and goings of prominent stars are visible due to this concept. The panorama was captured in Utah, USA during early morning hours. The arch seen on the right is the park's Delicate Arch. Towards the center, you can see the Milky Way.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140317.html

APOD: M78 and Reflecting Dust Clouds

A very cool looking scene, M object 78 and reflecting dust clouds. A blue glow and columns of dark dust highlight M78 and other bright reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion. The filamentary dust not only absorbs light but also reflects light of recently formed blue stars. The famous M78 nebula is the image center, while NGC 2071 can be seen to its lower left.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140326.html