May 21, 2014
7:30-9:30
Northern Sarasota
Some clouds, humid
Naked eye, binoculars
Jupiter, Mars
Arcturus, regulus, Alphard
Cancer, Hydra, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major
Big Dipper, m44, Rosette Nebula

May 23, 2014
7:00-9:00
Osprey
Cloudy
Naked eye
Cancer
M44

May 29, 2014
7:00-10:00
Northern Sarasota
Mostly clear
Naked eye
Jupiter, Saturn
Arcturus, spica, regulus, alphard, thuban
Gemini, Virgo, libra, Serpens, cancer, Hercules, Auriga, hydra, Leo, Draco
Big Dipper, m13, m104, m44
New moon

This is a globular star cluster. It consists of 100,000 stars at least. It is about 25,000 light years away. It is 165 light years in diameter.It has red and blue giant stars, and also rejunivated blue stragglers. 

Sofia Quinteros

Dacey

Astronomy

22 April 2014

Astronomer Biography Quarter 4: Margaret Geller

     Margaret Joan Geller was born on December 8th, 1947. She was born in Ithaca, New York. She became an American astronomer and also studied astrophysics. First, Margaret Geller got her Bachelor of Arts in Physics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. She also got her Ph.D. in Physics at Princeton University in 1975. She went on to do research fellowships at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. After this, the well established Margaret Geller became an assistant professor. She took this position at Harvard University and taught Astronomy in the years 1980 to 1938. After this, she worked at the Harvard- Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. To this day, Geller has as many as five honorary degrees.

     Throughout her career, Geller did lots of research about cosmology and extragalactic astronomy. She constructed pioneer maps. These pioneer maps were made by Geller in the 1980s, and were a great depiction of the structure of the universe.  These maps later lead astronomers to discover the Great Wall. The Great Wall is one of the largest known superstructures in the universe and spans over hundreds of millions of light years in all directions. Margaret Geller discovered this superstructure along with John Huchra. These astronomers used redshift data to discover the Great Wall. The latest thing Geller has put research towards is creating a bigger map of the universe names the HectoMAP. In doing these things, Margaret Geller developed many different techniques that can be adopted by other astronomers. These techniques specifically help to map and learn more about structure, mass, and the relationships between galaxy clusters and large scale clusters.

Margaret Geller has received many awards for her accomplishments. Starting in 1989, she was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was awarded this along with John Huchra for their discovery of the Great Wall and for “Mapping the Universe”. Some awards were given to her for her teaching, such as the Klopsteg Memorial Award of the American Association of Physics Teachers. One of Margaret’s five total honorary degrees has been given from Colby College. Margaret Geller also obtained the MacArthur Fellowship, Russell Lectureship, Magellanic Premium, and the Schwarzschild Medal in 2014 among many others.

All in all, Margaret is a very talented astronomer that has researched and discovered many things that have changed and contributed to astronomy. The things Margaret has contributed have not only added to the information we know about the universe, but also taught other astronomers innovative ways to keep discovering more. Being one of a very little number of women in the astronomy field, Margaret Geller is inspirational to girls and has definitely paved the way for more females to get involved with sciences and astronomy.

Works Cited

"Margaret Geller's SAO Home Page." Margaret Geller's SAO Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~mjg/>.

"1989: Margaret Geller and John Huchra Map the Universe." Everyday Cosmology. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://cosmology.carnegiescience.edu/timeline/1989>.

"History of Women in Astronomy: Margaret Geller." History of Women in Astronomy: Margaret Geller. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/women/geller.html>.

"Margaret Geller." Answers. Answers Corporation, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-geller>.

This is the Rosette nebula. There is an open cluster. Wind is coming away from the clusters. The center is 50 million light years across. That is really big. In the picture, it looks like there is such a variety of things and different types of objects.

Quarter 4 Biogprahy: Margaret Geller Information Links

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~mjg/

http://cosmology.carnegiescience.edu/timeline/1989

http://astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/women/geller.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-geller

This is the moon Io in true color. True color means the way humans would see it in real life if we could. Sulfur and silicate rock are responsible for the bright yellow color. Io is very volcanic. Tidal gravity of Jipiter stretches Io.Some lava on Io glows in the dark. To me, it looks like a weird alien planet with the cool colors it has.

Sofia Quinteros

Mr. Dacey

Astronomy

March 26, 2014

Astronomer Biography: Giovanni Schiaparelli

     Giovanni Schiaparelli was an Italian astronomer born on March 14th, 1835. He was born in Savigliano, Italy. He is known for his work studying and observing Mars, and other things in the solar system. He has had published writings, discoveries of objects, and has had awards dedicated towards him.

After being born in Savigliano, Italy, Giovanni Schiaparelli attended the University of Turin. From there, he also continued his studies at the Berlin Observatory. In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Giovanni Schiaparelli did work with the Pulkovo Observatory. Another observatory Schiaparelli did lots of work with was the Brera Observatory. Giovanni was a loyal observer at this establishment for almost 50 years.

The thing Schiaparelli is most known for is his association with our own solar system’s planet, Mars. One theory introduced by Giovanni Schiaparelli is the concept of Martian canals. Using new instruments also led him to publish a very detailed map of mars, for the time period in the 1860s to 1870s. This set an example for how astronomers mapped the things they saw, such as the observations of planets’ surfaces. On this map that he made of Mars, Giovanni Schiaparelli first made the idea of the canals. They were dark spots, that looked like maybe water had been on Mars. He names these ‘rivers’ after various rivers. Some rivers that the canals were names after were real and some were fictional.

Besides discovering many things about the planet Mars, Giovanni Schiaparelli made discoveries and observed things about comets, meteors, and meteorites. Giovanni related the fact that comets could be associated with the meteor showers observed by humans. He discovered the asteroid 69 Hesperia. Specifically, Schiaparelli showed astronomers of his time that the Leonids meteor showers and the Comet Tempel-Tuttle were closely related in terms of their orbit and timing. Giovanni also studied binary stars.

All in all, Giovanni Schiaparelli was a well established and very bright astronomer that set a standard for other astronomers. He set an example for the cartography and mapping of astronomical objects. As well as this, he discovered many interesting and thought-provoking things about Mars and it’s surface. His discoveries have inspired and led many other astronomers to build off his great work in the field of astronomy.

This is the Messier 63: The Sunflower Galaxy. It's about 100,000 light years across. Its approximately similar to size as the Milky Way Galaxy, out own.It has spiral arms. It has a yellow center, giving it its' name.Its cool how it actually does look like a flower.

Giovanni Shiaparelli: Sources

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (Italian Astronomer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/527306/Giovanni-Virginio-Schiaparelli>.

"Giovanni Schiaparelli." Windows to the Universe. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. <http://www.windows2universe.org/people/enlightenment/schiaparelli.html>.

This is M38, a spiral galaxy with really pretty colors of pink, lilac, and yellow. M38 is 12 million light years away. The M38 spiral galaxy is in the constellation Hydra, at the very end of it. Above M38 in the picture is the Thousand-Ruby Galaxy, which looks completely differemnt. It is interesting how each galaxy looks so different than each other.

This picture is the unique Orion Nebula. This is the first picture I've seen of a nebula with these same patterns and colors. The Orion Nebula is over 1,500 light years away. It is a stellar nursery, which means that a lot of new stars are being formed within the nebula.

This picture is of two galaxies colliding.
In billions of years, they will form only one galaxy. The smaller glaxy on the right will become engulfed in the bigger galaxy on the left. When I look at this picture, it is hard to comphehend because the points of light look so far from each other that it seems like it wouldn't have that type of force on the smaller galaxy. I wonder what these galaxies will look like over time.

This is the Helix Nebula. It's seven hundred light years. This is in the constellation Aquarius. It has complex geometry and it is a good example of a planetary nebula. It reminds me of the same pattens of different planetary nebulas I've seen in pictures, except with different colors.

Date: January 9/10, 2014

Time: 11:00 P.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Place: Northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Mostly clear

Instruments Used: Naked eye

Planets: Jupiter (In Gemini)

Bright Stars noted: Polaris

Constellations noted: Taurus, Gemini, Orion, Puppis, Canis Major/Minor

Deep Sky Objects: M45, Orion Nebula, Pleiades

Date: January 3, 2014

Time:  9:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

Place: northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: a bit cloudy, but clear

Instruments Used: naked eye

Bright Stars noted: Polaris

Constellations noted: Taurus, Andromeda, Cephus, Cassiopeia, Little&Big Dipper

Deep Sky Objects: Andromeda Galaxy, Pleiades, Hyades

Date: December 20, 2013

Time:  9:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

Place: Northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Clear

Instruments Used: Naked Eye

Constellations noted: Orion, Andromeda, Taurus

Deep Sky Objects: Pleiades, Hyades, Orion Nebula

Date: December 16-17, 2013

Time:  12:00 P.M. - 2:00 A.M.

Place: northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Mostly clear w/ few clouds

Instruments Used: naked eye

Constellations noted: Andromeda, Monoceros, Orion

Deep Sky Objects: Cone Nebula, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy

Pierre Mechain Works Cited

Works Cited

"Pierre François-André Méchain." Mechain Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

"Pierre Méchain (1744-1804)." Pierre Méchain (1744-1804). N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.

"Pierre Mechain (French Scientist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

Russell, Jesse, and Ronald Cohn. Pierre Méchain. New York: Book on Demand, 2012. Print.

Pierre Mechain

Sofia Quinteros

Dacey

Astronomy Honors

Period 4

Astronomer Biography: Pierre Mechain

                Pierre Mechain was born in Laon, France, on August 16th, 1744. He died on September 20th, 1804, in Spain at the age of 60. The French astronomer and mathematician was the son of a ceiling designer in France. Ever since Pierre was young, he showed interest in the sciences and mathematics, specifically physics. The young boy wasn’t able to pursue these interests right away because of his family’s poor financial position. He worked whatever other jobs he could get, like proofreading or assistant hydrographer. Through these jobs, Pierre Mechain was able to make friends in the astronomy field, such as Charles Messier. Later on in his life, he produced maps of different parts of the world and attended the French Academy of Sciences. Pierre published astronomical works and scientific papers.

                Pierre Mechain became a very accomplished astronomer by discovering many deep sky objects. He and Charles Messier devoted much of their time to observing and trying to discover more objects of the universe. Pierre’s specialty was observing comets; he was known as what some people would call a “comet hunter”. Mechain had originally discovered 8 comets, and co-discovered 3 comets. His love for finding comets served as a gateway to his discoveries of deep sky objects. In the year of 1781, Pierre Mechain discovered two comets in the same year. This was an impressive accomplishment, but to top it, he also calculated the orbits of many comets. These calculations were the ones that caused him to get elected into the very prestigious “Academie des Sciences”. In just the years of 1779-1782, Pierre Mechain discovered over 30 deep sky objects, and most of them were original discoveries. Much of Pierre Mechain’s work was documented and included into Charles Messeir’s famous catalog. This catalog contained information about all different clusters and nebulae.

                Many of Pierre Mechain’s discoveries are still observed by modern day astronomers. The numerous deep sky objects can be found in charts all over the place. After Mechain, Delambre, another astronomer, kept Mechains work alive and continued to add and modify the content. Mechains work always remain a part of history and continue to be a part of astronomers work in the future.

This is the Horsehead Nebula. It is a emission nebula.Protons and electrons combine to form hydrogen atoms and that's what gives the nebula it's red color. In the bottom left there is a reflection nebulae. This gets its color from the reflection of nearby blue stars.