<<< Return to Newsletter Archives list December eNewsletter from the Minnesota Planetarium society In this issue from the Minnesota Planetarium Society Science Moment: Exoplanets Seen for First Time Science Moment: Exoplanets Seen for the First Time
Why is it so hard to see exoplanets? "That's because, to start with, they're extraordinarily faint, and to compound the problem, they're right next to something [a star] that's enormously brighter. To within an order of magnitude, it's like looking for a firefly perched on the edge of a searchlight pointed straight into your eyes." That comes from Michael Lloyd-Hart in an article from the magazine IEEE Spectrum about adaptive optics, the technology that made the discoveries with the Gemini North and Keck telescopes possible. www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/2992 Try this! See if you can find a "planet" orbiting a "star," using a flashlight and small objects in a dark room. In early December at about 8 p.m. or late December at about 7p.m., Orion is just rising in the east. Follow his belt up to the first bright star Aldebaran. The V shape of stars is the face of Taurus the Bull. Keep going to the Pleiades or Seven Sisters (Subaru in Japan). To see the Andromeda Galaxy with binoculars, sweep the area almost directly overhead for a faint fuzzy object. Then use them to look just east of Cassiopeia (W or M shaped) for the Perseus double cluster of stars. The Great Square of Pegasus gallops to the west led by Cygnus the Swan setting before Pegasus. Lyra is the bright star setting in the WNW. For a star chart, try www.heavens-above.com. Don't forget to celebrate the longest night of the year on December 20-21. Happy Winter Solstice to you all.
Get ready for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of astronomer Galileo's use of the telescope to study the sky, and nations around the world are celebrating all year long! The vision of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 is "to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery." The Minnesota Planetarium Society will be hosting astronomy lectures, stargazing parties, planetarium shows, and much more throughout the year. Check our website for updates. More information on the International Year of Astronomy: Projects and resources to help you get involved at home or at school: What are students around Minnesota saying about the Exploradome? "Thanks so much for bringing the ExploraDome to our school! I thought it was so cool how realistic everything was! I loved every minute of our adventure." Colleen, 8th grade "The planets and the Milky Way were so close you could touch them." Kaitlyn, 3rd grade "Thank you! Planets are really cool. When I grow up I want to be a astronaut." Gracie, 3rd grade "Thank you for giving me the experience of a lifetime….It was amazing!" No name, elementary school Over 4,000 Minnesota school kids have already experienced the ExploraDome since September. Schedule the ExploraDome for your school or community event! www.mplanetarium.org/exploradomereservations.htm We are still elated over the support from the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County (see last month's ENews) and we are pushing ahead with plans for the new Minnesota Planetarium and Space Discovery Center. A group of MNPS Board members, staff, Hennepin County personnel, and consultants met in November and laid out a top-level timeline of critical decision points to guide and measure our progress. It is an aggressive yet doable plan. You can help in a number of ways: by becoming a member, by encouraging others to join, and by contributing to the annual fund drive. Learn how at our website. We have a marvelous, exciting new facility planned to inspire and excite us all. We hope you will join us as we Make Contact with the universe. |
