R
E
V
O
DOFISC CADE
E
THE D
CHRIS
HADFIELD
TAKE AWARD
WINNING SHOTS
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
ROSETTA
Matt Taylor on how the comet chaser has
solved the mystery of the Solar System
OBSERVE
ANDROMEDA
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pace rocks hold th
to life on our planet
swers.com
ISSUE 056
NEW
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@ ESO; M. Kornmesser
Proxima b orbits in
the habitable zone
of our nearest star
Giles Sparrow
Hot on the trail of the
newfound world around
Proxima Centauri, Giles gets the
full details from the discoverers
of the super-Earth, Proxima b,
which could even host liquid water.
David Crookes
Now that NASAs asteroid
sample return mission,
OSIRIS-REx, is well on its way
to asteroid Bennu, David
uncovers how the mission will
work out how life originated on Earth.
Stuart Atkinson
Gemma Lavender
Editor
Keep up to date
www.spaceanswers.com
Contributors
Weve found
evidence of
a planet with
an orbital
period of 11.2
days and a
minimum
mass of 1.3
Earths
Dr Guillem AngladaEscud, Queen Mary
University London and The
Pale Red Dot Campaign
[page 28]
Online
www.spaceanswers.com
/AllAboutSpaceMagazine
@spaceanswers
CONTENTS
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YOUR FIRST CONTACT
TWEET US
@spaceanswers
POST ON FACEBOOK
/AllAboutSpaceMagazine
US
@ SEND
AN EMAIL
questions@spaceanswers.com
08
The possible
discovery
of a fifth force of the
universe, Venus could
have once been habitable,
plus NASA has a milliondollar Mars challenge for
you this month
FEATURES
18 World Exclusive:
Rosetta
Mission members Michael
Kueppers, Matt Taylor and Patrick
Martin on how the comet chaser
has solved the mystery of the
Solar System
26 Future Tech
Distant target
analysis
When it comes to protecting
Earth from impacts, it is crucial
to know what asteroids are made
of. NASA is working on a device
to find out
28 New discovery:
Earth next door
Welcome to Proxima b, the
newly-discovered planet on our
cos i d
t
36 Interview
Chris Hadfield
The first Canadian to walk in
space talks the future of space
exploration and David Bowie
40 Hot &
hellish Venus
Plus more of the most extreme
places in the universe
50 Explorers
Guide
Milky Way
Take a tour of our galaxy like
never before
54 How to mine
an asteroid
Discover how OSIRIS-REx, on its
way to Bennu, will return space
rock samples to Earth
WORTH
18
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
ROSETTA
250!
40
Hot&
hellish
Venus
AM
POL
4
www.spaceanswers.com
Y
R
E
V
O
DOFISC CADE
E
THE D
70 Moon tour
54
Howto
minean
asteroid
72 This months
planets
Mars and Saturn are still readily
observable this month
74 Take award-winning
astroimages
Winners of Astronomy Photographer
of the Year show you how
28 Earthnextdoor
84 Deep sky
challenge
Try your hand at spotting some of
the treasures in Cassiopeia
86 How to Observe
Andromeda
74
Take
award-winning
astroimages
88 The Northern
Hemisphere
Enjoy a variety of night sky objects
90 Me & My
Telescope
98 HeroesofSpace
Anousheh Ansari: first IranianAmerican woman in space
92 Astronomy
kit reviews
Must-have books, software, apps,
telescopes and accessories
60Yourquestions
answered
Our experts solve your space
conundrums this issue
www.spaceanswers.com
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50
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INSIGHT 2016
LAUNCH PAD
YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE
www.spaceanswers.com
@ A. Duro; ESO
LAUNCH PAD
YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE
NASA sets
new Guinness
World Record
10
www.spaceanswers.com
Hubbles fireball
@ ESA; Hubble; NASA; J. Schmidt
11
@ NASA
Preparing for a
spacewalk
LAUNCH PAD
YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE
12
www.spaceanswers.com
Plugging away
inside the SLS
fuel tank
www.spaceanswers.com
13
LAUNCH PAD
New research suggests
discovery of fifth force
of the universe
YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE
Theres no
other boson
that weve
observed that
has this same
characteristic"
14
News
in Brief
Alien world
secrets revealed by
failed stars
Brown dwarfs are diverse with
varying temperatures, different ages
and dissimilar compositions. They
also provide a natural link between
astronomy and planetary science. A
team led by the Carnegie Institution
for Science, Washington DC, has
been looking at these variables,
discovering that the dwarfs
atmospheric conditions may be
behind many of their differences.
Astronomers operated
5,000 years ago
Research using 2D and 3D
technology has shown that stone
circles found in Scotland, UK,
which date back to 3000 BCE,
were constructed to align with
the movement of the Sun and the
Moon. Nobody before this has ever
statistically determined that a single
stone circle was constructed with
astronomical phenomena in mind;
it was all supposition, says project
leader Gail Higginbottom.
Steinhauers experiment
replicated a black hole
using sound waves to
test Hawking radiation
are not destroyed by an antiparticle as
they are elsewhere. Instead, one falls
inside while another escapes. Over
large amounts of time, this radiation
causes the black hole to evaporate.
Professor Steinhauer says his tests
therefore suggest that a black hole
is not as black as we imagine that
it may emit something. It also calls
into question why Einsteins theory of
gravity is seemingly incompatible with
quantum mechanics but it shows that
Stay up to date
www.spaceanswers.com
Fascinating space facts, videos & more
@spaceanswers /AllAboutSpaceMagazine
15
LAUNCH PAD
YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE
Software developed
for the challenge
will be usable on
other robotics
systems, NASA says
16
Venus is thought to
have formed out of
similar ingredients
to Earth
Alien megastructure
star exhibits more
strange behaviour
Tabbys Star just keeps
getting dimmer and dimmer
When NASAs Kepler mission focused
on the star KIC 8462852 (Tabbys Star),
its erratic flickering at 12,875 trillion
kilometres (8,000 trillion miles) away
startled astronomers. The star was
seen to dim by over 20 per cent,
which was at odds with normal stars.
Since then, astronomers have sought
an explanation. Could it be clouds of
dust or a swarm of comets? Or could
it be an alien megastructure aimed at
collecting solar energy? The latter is
unlikely, but it makes a good headline!
The latest findings suggest that
during the four years of Keplers
mission, Tabby has lost 3.5 per cent
of its luminosity. This has baffled
astronomers, as no other stars in the
vicinity have replicated this. This news
is sure to delight Bradley Schaefer
of Louisiana State University, as the
findings appear to mirror his claims
that the star has lost 19 per cent of its
brightness over 100 years. But a search
for an explanation continues.
www.spaceanswers.com
NASA; ESA; D. Coe; N. Benitez; T. Broadhurst; H. Ford; JPL-Caltech; Dana Berry; Skyworks Digita; CfA
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Rosetta
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
ROSETTA
The ESA team report exclusively for All About Space,
ahead of the missions end, on how the comet chaser
has solved the mystery of the Solar System
WRITTEN BY:
Patrick Martin
Michael Kueppers
Rosetta Scientist
Matt Taylor
Rosetta Project Scientist
18
www.spaceanswers.com
Rosetta
Rosettas
record-breaking
mission
During its mission, the comet
chaser has achieved a series of firsts
The first to swing into orbit around
a comet nucleus
Maciej Rebisz
www.spaceanswers.com
19
Rosetta
Rosettas
journey
From Earth
to Comet 67P,
the missions
flight path
broke records
150mn kilometres
319mn kilometres
410mn kilometres
March 2004
September 2008
July 2010
On board an Ariane-5
rocket, the Rosetta
spacecraft and the
Philae lander launch
from Guiana Space
Centre in French Guiana.
Rosetta characterises
asteroid Lutetia by
flying within 3,162km
(1,965mi) of it. The
craft captures several
stunning photos,
revealing its irregular
shape and heavily
cratered surface.
46P/
Wirtanen
67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko
Landing
speed:
0.5m/s
Landing
speed:
1m/s
Surface area:
46km2
1.2km
Exact shape
and area
unknown
20
4.1km
www.spaceanswers.com
Rosetta
671mn kilometres
792mn kilometres
672mn kilometres
600mn kilometres
540mn kilometres
480mn kilometres
July 2011
October 2012
January 2014
March 2014
August 2014
November 2014
T-9h
T-9h
A tricky manoeuvre
In order for the Philae lander to
arrive on target, engineers have
to predict Rosettas speed and
position. Their calculations need
to factor in winds that stream from
the surface of 67P, as well as the
irregular gravitational field produced
by the comets rubber-duck shape.
Release
speed
0.76m/s
Weight of a paper
clip on Earth:
Weight of Philae
on Comet 67P:
1g
1g
T-7h
Synchronised separation
The control centre in Cologne,
Germany, provides a cue for Philae
to eject from the Rosetta probe
and it begins to descend towards
the surface. Some 40 minutes
later, the orbiter pulls back and
heads for a more distant orbit.
T-5h
Instruments
T+1h50m
T-0h
Philaes harpoons
and rocket fail to fire
On the move
After its first bounce, Philae
travels for 1km (0.6mi) up
and at an equal distance
across the comet, before
hitting the surface again.
Landing
speed
1m/s
T+7m
Final landing
After a second bounce,
Philae lands on the surface
of Comet 67P, but given
that the harpoons were
unable to pin it into place,
the lander isnt secured.
www.spaceanswers.com
21
Rosetta
1.4bn
Rosetta
3.5
Space Shuttles
The partially reusable
low-Earth orbital craft
cost 400 million
($450 million) each.
Which was paid for by
European citizens
Each person who
was part of the
European Union paid
a small amount to
the mission between
1996 and 2015, which
equates to 0.20 per
person per year.
22
3.50 8.50
Cost of
Rosetta per
person
Cost of a
cinema
ticket to see
Interstellar
Rosetta
Elevated areas
Bumps and higher regions on the surface of the
comet, or spherical caps on the Bastet region
on the smaller comet lobe, suggests
that they are the remnants of smaller
cometesimals, which built up Comet 67P
and have been partially preserved today.
Rosetta solves
a mystery
Low strength
Comet 67Ps low density, high porosity
and generally weak strength could reflect
the properties of early cometesimals
that make up the objects surface. The high porosity
indicates that the accumulation couldnt have been
made by violent collisions since the fragile material
would have been compacted.
www.spaceanswers.com
A lot of layering
Two lobes
23
Rosetta
Ash
Maat
Seth
Alum
Serqet
Nut
Serqet
Hapi
Maftet
Anuket
Maat
Hatmehit
Anubis
Maftet
Seth
Ash
Bastet
Hapi
Ash
Babi
Aten
Khepry
Aten
Aker
Imhotep
Apis
Khepry
24
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Laser array
The mission would use a
group of lasers, individually
of quite low power, that can
work together to create a
small heated spot on the
surface of the object.
Spacecraft
Solar panels
26
www.spaceanswers.com
Molecular cloud
The vaporised material forms
a cloud of gas between the
spacecraft and the heated
spot on the surface. The craft
will then selectively absorb
light from the spot.
Asteroid
Heated spot
Returning light
Light emitted from the hot
spot on the surface will be
collected by telescopes on
the craft. The light can then
be analysed to see what
material it is shining through.
Huge numbers of
asteroids float around
the Solar System.
They are largely either
stony or metallic, while
comets are made up of
a mix of ices.
Absorption spectra
The heated spot will
radiate colours that are
characteristic of the
material being heated, and
the gas cloud will block
certain colours depending
on its composition.
It will heat up
a spot so that
it vaporises
the surface
material, similar
to a huge solarelectric version
of burning
something with a
magnifying glass
www.spaceanswers.com
27
Adrian Mann
Tobias Roetsch
28
www.spaceanswers.com
The
www.spaceanswers.com
Its made of
Earth-like materials
29
30
Proxima b receives 30
times more extreme UV
radiation than Earth and
250 times more X-rays
Emeline Bolmont, University of Namur
challenges in identifying the planet in orbit around
it. Dr Guillem Anglada-Escud of Queen Mary,
University of London, recalls the projects origins:
Around 2012-2013, we developed some new data
analysis tools that provided a higher sensitivity to
smaller planets, especially around low-mass stars like
Proxima. I work mostly on measuring more precisely,
and my colleague Mikko Tuomi [at the University
of Hertfordshire] developed this method to pull out
small signals. Stars can vary for a number of reasons,
so signals dont always mean planets.
So just what kind of signals were they looking for?
We dont see the planet itself, explains Dr AngladaEscud. What we do is look at the star, and if theres
a planet orbiting it, that planet pulls on the star. The
star is much more massive than the planet, but this
gravitational pull is periodic, matching the orbital
period of the planet. What you do is look at the star,
and measure how the star is moving. If the planet is
going around it, then the star moves back and forth.
The actual measurement is of the Doppler effect: you
look at the wavelengths of light coming from the
star if the star comes towards you it gets shifted
Proxima Centauri
The
Sun
ig h
2l
ar
Oort Cloud
Between 0.8 and
3.2 light years
ht
lig
ye
Alpha Centauri
ye
a
WISE 1049-5319
6.5 light years
rs
1.43 billion
kilometres
4.49 billion
kilometres
ht
lig
Orbit of
Saturn
Orbit of
Neptune
ye
ar
s
Barnards Star
Proxima Centauri
2.2 trillion kilometres
(0.2 light years) from
Alpha Centauri A
Alpha
Centauri
Beta
Centauri
Orbit of
Mars
Orbit of
Jupiter
WISE 0855-0714
7.27 light years
228 million
kilometres
779 million
kilometres
Orbit of
Uranus
2.87 billion
kilometres
Proxima Centauri
Mass: 0.12 Suns
Radius: 0.14 Suns (15.4 Earths)
Type of star: M6Ve red dwarf
Proxima Centauri is far less
massive than the Sun. With a
different internal structure, it
s its fuel at a much
wer pace and has
/600th of the
rightness.
Alpha Centauri A
The Sun
Mass: 330,000 Earths
Radius: 109 Earths
Type of star: G2V
yellow dwarf
The Sun is a middleaged star whose mass
is tiny compared to the
galaxys heaviest stars.
www.spaceanswers.com
Alpha Centauri B
Mass: 0.91 Suns
Radius: 0.87 Suns
Type of star: K1V
orange dwarf
Alpha Centauri B has a
little less mass than the
Sun, meaning it burns
its fuel more slowly.
It is half as bright and
slightly smaller.
31
32
www.spaceanswers.com
Red shift
51 Pegasi b
Orbital period: 4.23 days
Mass: 0.5 Jupiters
Type of planet: Gas giant
The first planet discovered
orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995
HD 209458 b
Wobble effect
Moving away
Epsilon Eridani b
Orbital period: c.2,500 days
Mass: 1.6 Jupiters
Type of planet: Gas giant
First suspected in the 1990s, its
orbit overlaps an asteroid belt
55 Cancri e
Orbital period: 18 hours
Mass: 3.8 Jupiters (8 Earths)
Type of planet: Super-Earth
This was one of the first SuperEarths to be found
Iota Draconis b
Normality resumed
When the planet and star are moving
perpendicular to Earth, the radial motion
disappears and the spectrum returns to normal.
www.spaceanswers.com
Blue shift
Compression of the starlight arriving at Earth
shifts the lines in its spectrum slightly towards
the shorter, bluer wavelengths.
33
34
Temperature
of star
Luminosity
of star
Habitable
zone
2.44.3
billion km
3 Suns
c. 12,500C
300 Suns
25 Suns
1.7 Suns
1 Sun
1.4 million km
0.7 Suns
4,400C
0.2 Suns
0.14 Suns
3258
million km
3,000C
c. 0.005 Suns
Habitable Zone
Proxima b orbit
Proxima Centauri
Sun
Mercurys
orbit
www.spaceanswers.com
The Sun provides our energy to live and is used for timekeeping.
The Moon causes eclipses whilst its phasing determines the date for Easter Sunday.
Constellations can be used for navigation.
Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences.
Planet Earth Education is one of the UKs most popular and longest serving providers of distance learning
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An interview with
Chris Hadfield
The first Canadian to walk in space tells us about his life in Earth orbit, the future of
manned space exploration and why he broke into a space station with an army knife
36
you can see the 360 degrees of the horizon all the
way around you and you can see for thousands of
kilometres. So its as if you somehow entered another
world. Its like here is the ISS, a big busy metal
laboratory, and suddenly you are in this bulging
eyeball looking at the Earth. Thats where almost all
the pictures were taken as you can really see Earth
much more clearly.
And you broke into a space station with a Swiss
army knife
My first flight was to help build the predecessor
to the ISS, the Russian space station Mir, which
means peace and the world in Russian. I helped
to build Mir on my first spaceflight and we brought
up the big module with the American Space Shuttle
Atlantis. When we docked and opened the hatch,
we found that a Russian technician had strapped it
all down with heavy wires and I couldnt get all the
stuff undone, so I used my Swiss army knife to cut
it. Suddenly I realised just how comical that was; I
was breaking into the Mir with my knife, so I turned
around and floated the knife at the camera because
I knew how funny it was. If you go to the Victorinox
Museum in Brunnen, Switzerland, they show that
little movie because it was a funny moment.
What did it take for the kid that was raised on a
farm to go to space?
I think its important to remember that when I first
dreamed and then decided to become an astronaut,
it wasnt hard it was impossible. There were no
Canadian astronauts; they didnt exist. We didnt even
have a space agency. So I think a lot of people see the
obstacle but not the change necessary and they give
up early because they say: Oh! Its not the way it is
right now so therefore what is the point in trying?
But I was lucky enough to see the first people walk
on the Moon. On that morning it was impossible
to walk on the Moon and yet by that night Neil
[Armstrong] and Buzz [Aldrin] had put footprints
on the Moon. I realised as a nine-year-old boy that
impossible things happen as a result of an enormous
amount of work over a long period of time. Thats
what gave me permission to think I could be an
astronaut. I didnt know how to become an astronaut
but I knew I needed to keep my body in shape. I
needed to go to university and learn how to scuba
dive. I needed to learn other languages and learn
to fly. I knew there were things I needed to change
about myself and then maybe someday Canada
would have astronauts. I think the big discriminator
was that I incrementally and tenaciously changed
www.spaceanswers.com
Chris Hadfield
INTERVIEWBIO
Chris Hadfield
Now a retired astronaut,
Hadfield became the first
Canadian to walk in space
when he helped to install
the Canadarm2 on the
International Space Station.
Accepted into the Canadian
astronaut programme by
the Canadian Space Agency
in 1992, Hadfield became
the commander of the ISS in
2013 and gained popularity
by playing guitar in space.
When there is no
gravity, everything feels
like its being pulled
up towards the ceiling
by invisible strings. It
feels like magic
37
Hadfield poses
with the Canadian
flag in the Cupola
module of the ISS
38
Chris Hadfield
39
Tobias Roetsch
40
www.spaceanswers.com
A once-habitable planet?
Venus may have once been
habitable with oceans. But a
30 per cent increase in solar
luminosity evaporated the water
into the atmosphere.
A backwards-rotating world
Long ago, Venus heavy
atmosphere may have brought
its original prograde rotation to
a virtual standstill and induced a
retrograde motion.
A peculiar
day and year
Superrotating winds
Venus revolves
very slowly in a
retrograde path.
Its day lasts
243 Earth days,
somewhat longer
than its year of
225 Earth days.
Venus winds
sweep westwards
in four Earth-days,
about 60-times
faster than the
rotation rate of
the planets solid
surface.
A greenhouse effect
Venus has a runaway greenhouse
effect, where the thick atmosphere
traps thermal radiation, creating
the hottest planetary surface in
the Solar System.
www.spaceanswers.com
41
Boomerang Nebula
James Bond made bow ties look
cool, but for the ghostly Boomerang
Nebula there is no cooler place
known to humanity. The temperature
of this protoplanetary cloud of
gas and dust located 5,000 light
years away in Centaurus has been
pegged at -272.15 degrees Celsius
(-457.87 degrees Fahrenheit). Colder
temperatures have been achieved
in the lab, but the Boomerang sits
closer to absolute zero than any other
natural place in the known universe.
When astronomers at the
European Southern Observatory
in Chile measured its temperature
in 1995, they realised it is a couple
of degrees cooler than the cosmic
microwave background itself the
faint afterglow of the Big Bang
Boomerang
Nebula
Temperature:
-272.15 C
(-457.87F)
Black hole
The Sun
An artists conception of a
black hole being thrown
out of the Milky Way
42
www.spaceanswers.com
Temperature scale
Cosmic Microwave
Background
Coalsack
Dark Nebula
Temperature: -270.4 C
Today, the CMB radiation
is very cold, only 2.725 C
(36.91F) above absolute
zero. It shines in the
microwave portion of the
spectrum, and is invisible
to the naked eye but fills
the entire universe.
Temperature: Around
-170 C
The Coalsack is a
dark nebula that is
characterised by low
temperatures of -170 C
(-274F). It is so dense
that it obscures the light
from objects beyond it.
Crab Nebula
NGC 2440
Temperature: Up to
9,700 C
Although its powerful,
hot wind may top
9,700 C (17,500F), the
central white dwarf of
the Red Spider Nebula
may reach temperatures
as high as 250,000 C
(450,000F).
Temperature: Up to
17,700 C
Centred on the Crab
Pulsar, the Crab Nebulas
oval-shaped mass of
filaments is believed
to reach scalding
temperatures of between
10,700 C and 17,700 C
(19,300F and 31,900F).
Temperature: Up to
80,000 C
The temperature of the
Cats Eye Nebula varies
greatly, with its outer
halo at around 15,000 C
(27,000F) and its
central nucleus reaching
as high as 80,000 C
(144,000F).
Temperature: Up to
200,000 C
The central object in
this extremely bright
planetary nebula is
thought to be the
hottest white dwarf
currently known to us,
reaching 200,000 C
(360,000F).
Magnetars
www.spaceanswers.com
The nameless
lost planet
With an unpronounceable name
of which the singer Prince would
have been proud, CFBDSIR2149
may represent a low-mass brown
dwarf, or perhaps an orphan planet,
gravitationally ejected from its star
system. It resides 100 light years
away and spectroscopic signatures
have revealed methane and water in
its atmosphere.
located 50,000 light years away,
hidden behind dense clouds of gas
and dust was recorded by several
Earth-circling satellites, as well as the
Cassini, Mars Odyssey and Ulysses
space probes. It was determined
that the magnetar responsible must
have unleashed as much energy as
the Sun produces in 250,000 years.
Other magnetars have ionised atoms
in Earths ionosphere, while in 2013,
PSR J1745-2900 was found orbiting
The Pillars
of Creation
Photographed by the Hubble Space
Telescope in 1995, the Pillars of
Creation are a pair of trunks of
interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle
Nebula, located over 6,500 light
years away. They are so named
because the gas and dust are in the
process of new starbirth.
43
Hercules-Corona
Borealis Great Wall
The question of what lies at the end of
the universe has mystified humans for
centuries. In November 2013, a wall of
sorts was found more than 10 billion light
years from us, spanning the constellations
of Hercules and Corona Borealis. Today,
the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall is
recognised as the largest known structure
in the observable universe.
Its bricks are comprised of billions of
galaxies and it is believed to extend, sheetlike, over 10 billion light years, while being
7.2 billion light years wide and almost one
billion light years thick. Putting that mindnumbing enormity into context, the Sun is
eight light minutes away from us and our
nearest galaxy, Andromeda Galaxy is at a
distance of 2.5 million light years.
The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great
Wall was found by mapping dozens of
immensely powerful gamma-ray bursts
but it struck its discoverers as impossible.
Einsteins cosmological principle states
that the entire universe is approximately
equal and that, assuming matter is spread
evenly, no structure should exceed 1.2
billion light years in diameter. However,
the Sloan Great Wall, detected in 2003,
measures 1.4 billion light years and the
Huge Large Quasar Group, whose discovery
was announced in 2013, is still bigger at
4 billion light years. The Hercules-Corona
Borealis Great Wall dwarfs them both,
vastly tipping the cosmological scales.
It is only 3.8 billion years younger than
the universe itself, creating an impossibly
short period of time after the Big Bang for
it to form and evolve. So understanding
why it exists at all is still a mystery. It
shouldnt exist, says Dr Jon Hakkila, one
of its discoverers, but apparently it does.
NGC 5248
NGC 6946
NGC 342
NGC 4594
NGC 3031
NGC 891
NGC 3628
NGC 3593
NGC 4571
M87
M100
Virgo Cluster
Ursa Major
Groups Virgo W
NGC 4038
NGC 2903
Fornax Cluster
The winds
of Neptune
The volcanic
moon Io
Hypervelocity
stars
Jupiters Great
Red Spot
44
www.spaceanswers.com
Ophichus
Supercluster
Hercules
Superclusters
Corona
Capricornus
Borealis Void
Void
Pavo-Indus Microscopium
Void
Shapley
Supercluster
Supercluster
Hydra-Cenaturus
Supercluster
Galaxy MACS0647-JD
Bootes
Bootes
Void Supercluster
Virgo
Supercluster
Sculptor
Pisces-Cetus Superclusters
Superclusters
Perseus-Pisces
Supercluster
Fornax Phoenix
Void Supercluster
Horologium
Supercluster
Corona-Borealis
Supercluster
Columbia
Void
Coma
Supercluster
Canes-Major
Void
Ursa Major
Supercluster
Leo
Superclusters
Sextans
Supercluster
Columba
Supercluster
Quasar W2246-0526
Draco Dwarf
Ursa Minor Sextans Dwarf
Andromeda VII
NGC 205
M32
Artists concept
of the turbulence
pervading
W2246-0526
Andromeda I
DDO 210
Andromeda VI
Nicholas Forder
IC 1613
www.spaceanswers.com
45
Lighthouse Nebula
Some 23,000 light years from Earth
lies IGR J11014-6103, or the Lighthouse
Nebula. It was formed long ago by the
action of a pulsar a rapidly rotating
neutron star but one of its most
intriguing characteristics is a 37-lightyear-long spiralling jet of high-energy
radiation, barrelling away from its host
at thousands of kilometres per second.
Known as an astrophysical jet, these
exotic structures have been seen to
attain lengths 100 times the size of
our home galaxy and represent the
most powerful objects in the universe.
How astrophysical jets evolve and
what forces power them is still unclear,
although it is likely to be related to
interactions with the accretion disc
around a black hole or neutron star.
The manner in which accretion discs
accelerate jets to such high speeds
The evolution of
astrophysical jets is not
yet fully understood,
but their power source
derives from the
accretion disc or from a
large central object
46
HD 189733b
Atmospheric temperatures
are uniform throughout
Orbits star in
2.2 days
Tidally locked
to its star
Predominant atmospheric
colour identified
www.spaceanswers.com
Neutron stars
To imagine squeezing an object up to
20 times as massive as the Sun into
the size of a small city is to imagine
conditions close to a neutron star.
These exotic objects of which 2,000
may reside in our Milky Way galaxy
alone represent the gravitationally
collapsed remnants of old stars. Devoid
of their outer gaseous envelopes, all
that remains is a superheated core,
around 19 kilometres (12 miles) across,
yet still possessing up to three solar
masses. Neutron stars are undoubtedly
among the densest objects in the
known universe.
Understanding them is troublesome.
A matchbox holding neutron-star
material might have a mass of 13
million tons and their extreme density
can be best understood through
implausible everyday comparisons.
Outer crust
The outer crust is
predominantly made
of iron. Atoms are
crushed into a rigid
lattice of nuclei with
electrons flowing
through the gaps.
Outer core
This liquid layer
is composed of free
electrons, neutrons, protons
and muons. It can contribute up
to 99 per cent of the neutron
star's mass.
Rocky, with
possible volcanism
1.58-times larger
than Earth
Orbits star
in 20 hours
Tidally locked
to its star
Inner crust
Moving towards the centre,
nuclei with an increasing
number of neutrons are
common. If they were on
Earth, they would decay
rapidly, but the huge
pressures keep
them stable.
Inner core
Neutrons are said
to exist at the heart of
a neutron star, but were still
uncertain. There could be a
mix of protons, electron and
neutrons or even quarks.
Mercurys
heat and cold
The closest planet to the Sun in
the Solar System should be the
hottest, bar none. Yet tiny Mercury
is tidally locked to its parent star,
with one hemisphere baked to
temperatures as high as 426 C
(799F) and the other frozen to
-173 C (-279F).
The centre
of our galaxy
With a supermassive black hole
thought to lie at its heart, the
centre of our Milky Way Galaxy
lies some 25,000 light years
from planet Earth. However, the
presence of interstellar dust along
our line of sight prevents us from
examining the galactic centre in
greater depth.
47
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K. Noll (STScI); M. Postman; D. Coe; the CLASH team; NRAO; AUI; NSF; Dana Berry; SkyWorks; ALMA; M. Kornmesser; Penn State University
Every issue
packed with
Fascinating features on space exploration, technology and wonders of the universe
Exclusive interviews with astronauts, astronomers and other top space experts
Stunning images of galaxies, nebulae, the stars and the planets
Easy-to-follow stargazing guides for all
4. Crowded core
ars in the core of the galaxy
e crammed together and
parated by light days or
eeks rather than light years.
this crowded space, the craft
n easily swing around stars
lose excess speed.
1. Acceleration bo
Interstellar travel requ
a steady source of
acceleration that can
a spaceships speed fo
many years. Ion engin
and nuclear rockets a
far better suited to th
than our current gene
of chemical rockets.
Scutum-Centaurus Arm
Carina-Sagittarius Arm
2. Long-haul flight
By accelerating over
many years with a small
but constant force, the
spacecraft can boost its
speed to a substantial
fraction of the speed of
light but even at these
speeds, it takes years to
reach the nearest stars.
50
3. Time dilation
If the spacecrafts speed gets near
to the speed of light, then an effect
of special relativity called time
dilation becomes noticeable time
slows down for the spaceships crew
compared to the surrounding galaxy,
effectively shortening their journey.
5. Into orbit
Once the right speed has been
reached, the spacecraft can slip into a
fast-moving orbit around the galaxys
central supermassive black hole
held by its gravity but not pulled
directly into the black hole itself.
www.spaceanswers.com
Perseus Arm
Solar System
United
States
* not to scale
Orion-Cygnus Arm
How far is
the core?
Central hub
Central
black
hole
Norma/Outer Arm
Earth
Galactic bar
The Local
Group
www.spaceanswers.com
51
Explorers Guide
Orbiting balls
Star-forming regions
52
www.spaceanswers.com
Milky Way
Galactic centre
The Suns
orbital path
The Suns
actual motion
light hours
Maximum diameter
of central region
containing 4mn solar
masses of material
roughly the same size
as the orbit of Uranus
40bn 550km/s
Estimated number
of Earth-like planets
orbiting in the
habitable zones of
stars in the Milky Way
www.spaceanswers.com
700
billion Suns
Estimated total
mass of the
Milky Way,
including stars,
gas and unseen
dark matter
88
per cent
53
6.25
Age of
the oldest
known star
in a Milky
Way globular
cluster
thought to be
significantly
older than
the galaxy
itself!
Galactic weather
Estimated
diameter of
our galaxy
in light years
though
outlying
regions may
stretch this
to 180,000
light years
13.7bn years
120,000
HGA
The High Gain Antenna
is used to beam
information back and
forth with the crews
on the ground.
NAVCAM
Two Navigation Cameras and
a StowCam form part of the
Touch-and-Go Camera System
(TAGCAM), which works
in combination with the
GN&C LIDAR for guidance,
navigation and control.
OVIRS
OSIRIS-REx Visible and
IR Spectrometer (OVIRS)
measures the visible and
infrared light from Bennu
and allows for the detection
of different chemicals.
OTES
The OSIRIS-REx Thermal
Emission Spectrometer
collects infrared spectral data
and provides mineral and
temperature information,
allowing astronomers to work
out the kinds of minerals present.
REXIS
The Regolith X-ray Imaging
Spectrometer will determine
the elements present in the
surface by detecting any
X-rays being emitted.
OSIRIS-RExs objectives
Origins
Visit Bennu to collect and return a sample of its
surface to Earth.
Spectral interpretation
Spend six months creating a comprehensive map
of its properties using its onboard instruments.
Resource identification
Document the site of the sample and identify
resources potentially useful for future missions.
Security
Study the role of the Yarkovsky Effect the orbit
deviation caused by non-gravitational forces.
OLA
The cameras
GN&C LIDAR
The guidance,
navigation and
control LIDAR is able
to work out how
close the spacecraft
is from Bennu so
that it can maintain a
safe distance from it.
TAGSAM
This is the robotic arm
that will reach out and
touch the surface of
Bennu as it collects
a sample, before
retreating and allowing
the craft to move away.
Regolith exploration
Study the regolith the unconsolidated solid
material covering the bedrock of an asteroid.
54
www.spaceanswers.com
How to
MINE AN
ASTEROID
As the sample return mission OSIRIS-REx heads for
Bennu, All About Space looks at the rich benefits of
sampling what a lump of space rock has to offer
Written by David Crookes
Imagine for a second that you could get your hands
on a celestial treasure chest, packed to the brim
with precious metals and potential fuel that could
provide untold riches if you managed to prise it
open. Consider something so wonderful that it could
help you travel further than youve ever gone before
and allow you to inhabit new lands and broaden
your mind with fresh science and discoveries. It
sounds rather pie in the sky, doesnt it? And yet
millions of these amazing objects are flying around
space right now, giving astronomers the opportunity
to unlock exciting new frontiers.
We are, of course, talking about asteroids, those
apparent big dumb rocks that knock around the
www.spaceanswers.com
55
1 Examine the
site and collect
the sample
Examining the site
The craft will determine the
best landing site, collecting
infrared spectral data to obtain
information about surface
minerals and temperature.
2 Retrieve and
analyse a sample
Retrieving the
sample
Bennu is likely to
contain carbon
material and organics,
which are the
building blocks of
life. A robotic arm will
collect a sample of
pristine regolith and
surface material.
5 Ground truth
observations
Earth look-out
Ground truth
is information
provided by direct
observation.
OSIRIS-REx will
be able to provide
ground truth for
Earth and spacebased telescopes.
56
OSIRIS-REx
Operator: NASA/DLR
Launch: 18 October 1989
Target asteroid: Gaspra
Other targets: Ida
Operator: NASA
Launch: 8 September 2016
Target asteroid: Bennu
OSIRIS-REx will reach Bennu in
2018 and spend 505 days there.
It will map the asteroids surface
and take a physical sample.
Hayabusa 2
Near Shoemaker
Operator: JAXA
Launch: 3 December 2014
Target asteroid: Ryugu
Operator: NASA
Launch: 17 February 1996
Target asteroid: Eros
Other targets: Mathilde
Exploring
asteroids
Cassini-Huygens
Operator: NASA/ESA
Launch: 15 October 1
Target asteroid: 268
Masursky
Dawn
Operator: NASA
unch: 27 September 2007
Target asteroid: Vesta
her target: Dwarf planet Ceres
Deep Space 1
Operator: NASA/JPL
Launch: 24 October 1998
Target asteroid: 9969 Braille
Other targets: Comet Borrelly
Rosetta
Operator: ESA
aunch: 2 March 2004
teroid: Lutetia & teins
her targets: Comet 67P/
ChuryumovGerasimenko
Hayabusa
Stardust
Operator: NASA/JPL
Launch: 7 February 1999
Target asteroid: 5535 Annefrank
Other targets: Comet Wild 2
The mission was to collect dust from
Comet Wild 2s coma but it also
performed a flyby of Annefrank.
Operator: JAXA
Launch: 9 May 2003
Target asteroid: Itokawa
57
A primordial
gold mine
Companies are
seeking to mine it
With its rich source
of minerals, there
is a clamour among
companies and
governments to take
advantage of the
resources that asteroids
have to offer, and theyll
be keenly watching.
ion
vres
ve lift-off
launched OSIRIS-REx
tember 2016 from Cape
ral, Florida. OSIRIS-REx
ures 6.2m (20.3ft) across,
solar arrays of 8.5m2 (91ft2).
58
2 On its way
3 Gravity assist
4 Playing catch-up
www.spaceanswers.com
5 Slowing down
www.spaceanswers.com
6 Coming in
OSIRIS-REx is
due to launch
on 8 September
2016 and will
rendezvous with
Bennu in 2018
7 Touch and go
8 Returning home
9 Success landing
59
NASA; GSFC; Shutterstock; JPL; Caltech; UW; Cornell; JHUAPL; ESA; JAXA; UCLA; MPS; DLR; IDA; United Launch Alliance; Lockheed Martin Corporation
Sounding rockets
occupy the space
between weather
balloons at 40km
(25mi) and satellites
at 120km (75mi)
YOUR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED BY
OUR EXPERTS
In proud association with
the National Space Centre
www.spacecentre.co.uk
Sophie Allan
National Space Academy
Education Officer
Sophie studied
astrophysics at
university. She has
a special interest in
astrobiology and
planetary science.
Josh Barker
Education Team
Presenter
Having earned a
masters in physics
and astrophysics, Josh
continues to pursue his
interest in space at the
National Space Centre.
Gemma Lavender
Editor
Gemma holds a master's
degree in astrophysics,
is a Fellow of the Royal
Astronomical Society
and an Associate
Member of the Institute
of Physics.
SPACE EXPLORATION
Robin Hague
Science Writer
Robin has a degree
in physics with space
technology and a
master's in hybrid rocket
engine design. He
contributes regularly to
All About Space.
Tamela Maciel
Space Communications
Manager
Tamela has a degree in
astrophysics and writes
for the National Space
Centre Blog. She has
eight years experience in
science communication.
Make contact:
60
@spaceanswers
/AllAboutSpaceMagazine
questions@spaceanswers.com
www.spaceanswers.com
ASTRONOMY
Which lunar
features can
I see this
month?
Plato
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Binoculars
Best phase of the Moon to
see the target: Waxing gibbous
Feature: Bay
Minimum optical aid
needed: Binoculars
Best phase of the
Moon to see the
target: Waxing gibbous
Archimedes
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Binoculars
Best phase of the
Moon to see the target:
Around first quarter
Julia Todd
Aristarchus
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Naked eye
Best phase of the
Moon to see the target:
Waxing gibbous
Montes
Apenninus
Feature: Mountains
Minimum optical aid
needed: Naked eye
Best phase of the
Moon to see the
target: Waxing
gibbous
Copernicus
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Binoculars
Best phase of the
Moon to see the
target: Waxing
gibbous
Sea of Serenity
Feature: Lunar sea
Minimum optical aid
needed: Naked eye
Best phase of the
Moon to see the
target: First quarter
or later
Rupes Recta
(The Straight
Wall)
Feature: Rille
Minimum optical aid
needed: Telescope
Best phase of the
Moon to see the
target: Waxing
crescent
SPACE EXPLORATION
Clavius
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Binoculars
Best phase of the Moon
to see the target: 1-2
days after first quarter
Tycho
Feature: Crater
Minimum optical aid
needed: Naked eye
Best phase of the
Moon to see the target:
Waxing gibbous
DEEP SPACE
Pam Lawrence
This depends entirely on why the
Milky Way didnt form. If the Milky
Way didnt form due to a lack of
material, gases and dust, then no,
we would not be here. Generally, our
understanding of galaxy formation is
that it is the result of a huge cloud of
material slowly being influenced by
its own internal gravity. This pulls the
clouds into the shapes and patterns we
see. With a total absence of material,
a galaxy would never form and we
would not be here either.
If the primordial Milky Way had
the material but ended up forming
in a different way, which resulted in
a different structure, the answer is a
little more complex. As the material
clumps and forms stars, we expect
some of those to contain planetary
systems. But whether or not this
results in life is still up for debate. SA
Darran James
Technically, anyone can build a
rocket, providing they have the
knowledge and the funds. That being
said, working for an organisation
often makes that a little bit easier.
But these organisations dont have
to be companies. For example, Space
Agencies such as NASA, ESA, and
JAXA are not really private companies,
but will often design and build rockets.
On top of the resources and
logistical costs of a rocket, the
technology can often be subjected to
regulations. Due to the connection to
weaponry, if a private individual or
organisation started building rockets
it may raise a few questions. It could
also be argued that, as aerospace is
defined as the branch of technology
that covers spaceflight, once you start
building a rocket you are working
within the aerospace industry. TM
www.spaceanswers.com
Galaxy formation
is the result of
a huge cloud of
material slowly
being influenced
by its own gravity
61
ASTRONOMY
DEEP SPACE
Questions to
62
Numbers
Why do we think
binary code is a
good means of
communication
with alien life?
Dan Brown
We believe that out of all of our
communication methods, binary
may be the one that requires the
least interpretation. Using a language
like English or Chinese or any
other requires an understanding of
characters, how we join those to make
words, intention and meaning of
words, context and many other facets
to understand. Even native speakers
of a language can often misinterpret
what someone is saying.
The thought behind binary is that it
is the simplest form of communication
we have. We also believe it is a form
that evolves fairly naturally based on
an understanding of mathematics and,
as such, we hope this would mean
that it is universal. A binary message
(pictured right) was transmitted via
radio waves to globular star cluster
M13 in 1974. JB
@spaceanswers
/AllAboutSpaceMagazine
DNA
The atomic numbers of the
elements that make up DNA.
Formula
Double helix
The structure of DNA.
Earths population
The height of an average man
and the human population on
our planet.
Solar System
Our solar neighbourhood
along with which planet the
message is coming from.
Arecibo telescope
The dimension of the radio
dish from which the message
is being transmitted.
SOLAR SYSTEM
questions@spaceanswers.com
www.spaceanswers.com
Comet
SOLAR SYSTEM
Meteoroid
A small rocky or metallic body that
races through space, meteoroids
are quite a lot smaller than their
larger cousins, the asteroids. They
range in size from small grains to 1m
(3.3ft) wide chunks of rock. Lumps
of space rock that are even smaller
than meteoroids are classified as
micrometeoroids or space dust.
Meteor
Meteor showers
Meteor showers occur at the
same time every year when the
Earth passes through a region
that has a large concentration
of debris, shed from either a
comet or an asteroid. From
our location on Earth, meteors
appear to originate from the
same location year after year.
ASTRONOMY
Fireball
A fireball is another term for a
very bright meteor. If you ever
see a fireball streaking through
the night sky, then youll quickly
notice that its bright white-orange
hue outshines that of Venus, the
brightest planet in the sky.
What is meant by
aperture fever?
Bolide
Meteorite
If a piece of a meteoroid or an
asteroid manages to survive its
passage through the atmosphere and
reaches the ground, we call this piece
of space rock a meteorite. Meteorites
can weigh in at several dozens of tons
or just a few grams. Only two humans
have ever been hit by meteorites.
www.spaceanswers.com
Christopher Hurt
Aperture fever is a term used in
amateur astronomy circles. It refers
to the desire to get bigger and better
observing equipment. Many people
recommend that anyone wishing to
get into stargazing should begin with a
small pair of binoculars. This enables
you to see a little more than you can
with the naked eye and offers a good
starting point from which to progress.
In astronomy, aperture refers to
the size of the hole that light enters
through. Generally speaking, as the
aperture of the telescope gets bigger,
you can see fainter and fainter objects
in increasing detail. Aperture fever is
used to refer to people who want to
keep increasing the aperture of their
equipment to get better and better
views of the night sky. JB
63
SOLAR SYSTEM
Short-period
Halleys Comet
Long-period
Orbiting the Sun in
cycles, which takes
them anywhere
up to thousands of
years to complete,
long-period comets
are believed to
originate in the Oort
Cloud - a sphere of
icy debris at the very
edge of the Solar
System.
Jupiter-family
Hyperbolic
Regular comets
that orbit in the
general plane of the
Solar System, those
that belong to the
Jupiter-family have
a period of around
20 years. They are
classified together
because their orbits
are clustered around
the gas giants orbit.
Comet Hartley 2
Questions to
64
Comet ISON
@spaceanswers
/AllAboutSpaceMagazine
questions@spaceanswers.com
www.spaceanswers.com
Georgia Sackville
Comets are best known for their tails, and their
name actually comes from ancient Greek for longhaired. The largest ones are a bright presence in
the night sky for a month or so as they make their
closest approach to the Sun. They are icy bodies,
dirty snowballs of water ice mixed with rock, dust,
and frozen gases like carbon dioxide. The tail appears
when the comet approaches the Sun and the surface
layers turn to gas. This is then pushed away by the
solar wind; it is mostly water and dust, though these
can separate into two tails as the gas portion is more
easily pushed outwards from the Sun than the dust.
Comets fall into three major categories: short
period, long period, and hyperbolic. While the vast
majority do come from the Solar System, it is likely
that some have come from outside, but there is no
way to tell for sure. Short-period comets have orbits
ranging up to 200 years and can be further divided
into Encke-type, Halley-type and Jupiter-type.
A WORLD OF
ISON
Jupiter
INFORMATION
C/2011 W3
Lovejoy
Swift-Tuttle
Tempel 1
Halley
Earth
Hartley 2
Encke
67P C-G
Wild 2
Hyakutake
Borrelly
C/2014 Q2
Lovejoy
Hale-Bopp
ISON
Jupiter
Encke
67P C-G
Tempel 1
Hartley 2
Halley
Wild 2
Hyakutake
C/2011 W3
Lovejoy
WAITING TO BE
Hale-Bopp
www.spaceanswers.com
DISCOVERED
www.haynes.co.uk
STARGAZER
GUIDES AND ADVICE TO GET STARTED IN AMATEUR ASTRONOMY
In this issue
70 Moon tour
72 This months
74 Take award-
82 Image a
Astronomy Photographer of
the Year winners reveal how
84
86 Observe the
88 The Northern
Hemisphere
Me & My
Telescope
90
92 In the shops
Deep sky
challenge
binocular targets
Andromeda Galaxy
planets
Whats
in the
sky?
winning astroimages
16
SEP
28
SEP
66
penumbral eclipse
Mercury is
at greatest
elongation
west in the
dawn sky
29
SEP
Asteroid 11
Parthenope
is well
placed for
observation
www.spaceanswers.com
STARGAZER
Red
frienlight
dly
In or
der
visio to prese
rve
n, y
obse ou should your nigh
rving
t
read
gu
ou
red li ide unde r
r
ght
Declination (Dec)
This is an alignment of
objects at the same celestial
longitude. The conjunction
of the Moon and the
planets is determined with
reference to the Sun. A
planet is in conjunction with
the Sun when it and Earth
are aligned on opposite
sides of the Sun.
18
SEP
Conjunction
between
the Moon
and Uranus
in Pisces
21
SEP
Piscid meteor
shower
reaches its
peak of five
meteors
per hour
Greatest elongation
Opposition
22
SEP
September
equinox
06
OCT
Naked eye
Conjunction
between the
Moon and
Saturn in
Ophiuchus
Binoculars
Small telescope
Medium telescope
Robin Scagell; Alamy
Large telescope
www.spaceanswers.com
67
STARGAZER
Cygnus
Andromeda
Auriga
Perseus
Triiangulum
Gemini
Aries
Pegasus
The
Moon
Delphinu
nus
Uranus
Taurus
Orion
Pisces
Equuleus
Cani
nis Minor
Monoceros
Neptune
Cetus
Aquarius
Canis Major
C
Eridanu
us
Lepus
Capricornus
Planetarium
Fornax
Microsccopium
Sculptor
25 September 2016
Piscis Austrinus
Columba
Grus
m
Caelum
Puppis
MORNING SKY
OPPOSITION
Moon phases
15
SEP
98.2%
04:39
19
SEP
92.5%
09:55
20
SEP
84.7%
20:44
11:13
26
SEP
20.4%
01:48
27
SEP
12.5%
16:54
02:54
3
OCT
6.1%
09:22
11.5%
19:53
10:23
68
17:25
76.3%
01:04
6.4%
04:00
2.3%
17:53
05:06
18.4%
20:22
11:23
12
OCT
16:07
85.3%
02:14
LQ
52.1%
22:49
14:40
18:17
6
OCT
26.6%
12:21
20:54
21:31
13
OCT
16:39
92.7%
03:27
17
SEP
19:13
23
SEP
29
SEP
5
OCT
11
OCT
15:31
63.7%
13:38
22:02
28
SEP
4
OCT
10
OCT
66.3%
00:01
21:21
FM
99.1%
18:43
05:56
22
SEP
21
SEP
74.9%
12:29
16
SEP
19:42
24
SEP
23:44
40.6%
--:--
30
SEP
1OCT
0.3%
06:12
NM
0.3%
07:16
18:41
7
OCT
8
OCT
35.7%
13:16
45.6%
14:06
22:14
% Illumination
Moonrise time
Moonset time
17:10
99.9%
07:14
18
SEP
97.7%
08:35
20:12
25
SEP
15:33
29.9%
00:44
16:17
2
OCT
19:04
2.3%
08:19
19:28
9
OCT
FQ
55.9%
23:04
--:-FM
NM
FQ
LQ
14:51
Full Moon
New Moon
First quarter
Last quarter
All figures are given for 00h at midnight (local times for London, UK)
www.spaceanswers.com
STARGAZER
Bote
es
Vulpecu
ula
Leo Minor
Canccer
Coma Berrenices
Corona Borealis
Hercules
Leo
Sagitta
Aquila
The
Sun
Serpens
Ophiuchus
Mercury
Virgo
Sextans
Jupiter
Sccutum
Crater
Venus
Hydra
Mars
Corvus
Lib
bra
Py
yxiss
Saturn
Antlia
Sagittarius
Lupus
Scorpius
Centaurus
Co
orona
ro Austrina
EVENING SKY
DAYLIGHT
Illumination percentage
100%
100%
100%
www.spaceanswers.com
80%
100%
100%
80%
90%
100%
100%
RA
Dec
Constellation Mag
Rise
Set
MERCURY
100%
80%
80%
90%
Date
16-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
12-Oct
02 35 25
05 31 13
05 44 04
02 40 52
-01 19 43
Leo
Leo
Leo
Virgo
Virgo
0.2
-1.9
-2.6
-2.5
-2.3
06:10
05:24
05:11
05:35
06:08
18:43
18:27
18:17
18:09
18:02
VENUS
80%
90%
80%
12 OCT
16-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
12-Oct
-07 32 37
-10 29 08
-13 44 34
-16 44 36
-19 03 18
Virgo
Virgo
Virgo
Libra
Libra
-4.1
-4.1
-4.2
-4.2
-4.2
09:04
09:26
09:49
10:11
10:31
20:00
19:46
19:33
19:22
19:14
MARS
90%
50%
6 OCT
16-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
12-Oct
-25 48 34
-25 54 08
-25 51 51
-25 39 19
-25 23 44
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
-0.6
-0.5
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
15:07
15:01
14:53
14:45
14:38
22:18
22:10
22:03
21:58
21:55
JUPITER
20%
29 SEP
16-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
12-Oct
00 32 06
00 01 16
-00 34 41
-01 10 27
-01 40 48
Virgo
Virgo
Virgo
Virgo
Virgo
-1.7
-1.6
-1.6
-1.7
-1.7
07:16
07:00
06:41
06:22
06:06
19:29
19:07
18:42
18:17
17:56
SATURN
SATURN
JUPITER
MARS
VENUS
MERCURY
22 SEP
Planet positions All rise and set times are given in BST
16-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
12-Oct
-20 32 23
-20 36 26
-20 41 34
-20 47 01
-20 51 55
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus
1.1
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
13:40
13:18
12:53
12:29
12:08
22:04
21:41
21:15
20:49
20:27
69
STARGAZER
Moon tour
Tycho
crater
Top tip!
Tycho crater
70
NASA
STARGAZER
Cassiopeia
Andromeda
Alpheratz
Pisces
The Square
of Pegasus
The four stars of this
famous formation are
easy to find as they are
fairly high in the south
at this time of year.
Lacerta
Pegasus
Equuleus
One of the smallest
constellations in the
night sky, Equuleus can
just fit into the field of
view of 10x50 binoculars.
Aquarius
Equuleus
www.spaceanswers.com
71
STARGAZER
Mars
Serpens
Aquila
Ophiuchus
Scutum
Capricornus
Mars
Sagittarius
Scorpius
Piscis Austrinus
Microscopium
SE
SW
72
small, you will need a telescope of sixinch aperture or greater to see features
and landmarks on the surface of Mars.
However, on a cool autumn night with
good seeing conditions, you should
be able to spot the dark shark fin of
Syrtis Major, especially between 29
September and 4 October.
Syrtis Major was the first feature
on another planet to be observed and
drawn; in 1659 Christiaan Huygens
saw it through his telescope and made
a rough but famous sketch showing
it very clearly. You may also just be
able to see the huge Hellas impact
basin, which looks like a round, bright
area beneath Syrtis Major through a
STARGAZER
Leo
Sextans
Coma Berenices
Botes
ercury
Hydra
Jupiter
Crater
Virgo
NE
Venus
SE
Uranus
Coma Berenices
Lupus
Triangulum
Pisces
Perseus
Virgo
Aries
Leo
Libra
Aquarius
Uranus
Venus
Cetus
SW
Saturn
NW
NE
SE
eye, and if you know where to look
on a Moon-free night with no light
pollution it can just be glimpsed as a
faint star. Most sky-watchers have only
ever seen it through an optical aid, and
if magnified a dozen times, Uranus
green colour gives it away instantly.
Scutum
Botes
Ophiuchus
Serpens
Virgo
Sagittarius
Saturn
Libra
Scorpius
www.spaceanswers.com
SW
73
STARGAZER
GUIDES AND ADVICE TO GET STARTED IN AMATEUR ASTRONOMY
Astrophotography used
to just be for the experts
t
!
Like the fields and rolling green hills of the
countryside on a summers day, or the ocean bathed
in a golden sunset, a starry night sky is so beautiful
its only natural that people want to photograph it.
Similar to any creative hobby, there are different
levels of expertise you can aspire to and reach.
From dark-sky sites, often many kilometres from
their homes, experienced astrophotographers
use sophisticated cameras attached to expensive
telescopes to capture multiple images of deep-sky
objects, which they then layer or stack together,
and process using sophisticated image processing
software, to create portraits of galaxies, clusters
and nebulae, rivalling the images that professional
observatories were taking a decade ago.
Other astrophotographers, using just entry-level
digital SLR cameras on steady tripods, take beautiful
images of constellations, meteor showers and
the Northern Lights just from their gardens. And
todays smartphone cameras are sensitive enough
and of high enough quality to let anyone take a
lovely photograph of a crescent Moon smiling in the
twilight, or a close encounter between two planets
in the brightening sky before dawn.
So, astrophotography is not just for the experts.
And like any hobby, the more you practise, the
better you get. One day you might even win an
award for your photographs.
74
www.spaceanswers.com
STARGAZER
Award-winning astroimages
www.spaceanswers.com
Mark Gee
IAPY 2013 Earth & Space Winner:
Guiding Light To The Stars
75
STARGAZER
Chasing the Northern Lights
James Woodend takes spectacular shots of the Aurora Borealis. How does he do it?
Whats the background story behind your awardwinning photograph?
The image was taken at Jkulsrln, South Iceland, at
1.42am on 9 January 2014. I had visited the ice lagoon
at Jkulsrln on several occasions I knew exactly
the location to take a good reflection photograph of
an aurora but the conditions had always prevented
me from getting the image I wanted. During January
2014, the lagoon was free from a covering of surface
ice (rare in winter) and with no wind to ripple the
surface, all I needed was a touch of moonlight, clear
skies and an aurora to get the shot. The night in
question was cloudy but there was a sudden break
of clear sky just after 1am above was a spectacular
aurora dancing across the sky. I got my shot.
James Woodend
IAPY 2014 Earth & Space Winner:
Aurora Over A Glacier Lagoon
James toolkit
DSLR camera
A sturdy tripod
Fast, wide-angle lens
Warm clothes
Chemical heat pads to
warm up frozen lenses
76
www.spaceanswers.com
STARGAZER
Award-winning astroimages
www.spaceanswers.com
77
STARGAZER
I didnt have time to move
I had to take the picture
from where I stood
Overall winner of Astronomy Photographer of Years
Aurorae category in 2015, Percy from Australia
headed over to Abisko National Park in Lapland,
Sweden, to take his prize-winning shot. Using a
Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a 24mm f/1.4
lens at ISO 2000 and using a four-second exposure,
he recalls the moment he captured the Swedish
Jamen Percy
IAPY 2015 Aurorae Winner:
Silk Skies
Capturing
galaxies
Michael Van Doorn takes
beautiful portraits of galaxies far,
far beyond the Milky Way
Photographing in
cold conditions can
be challenging for the
photographer and for the
equipment. Being well
prepared is essential
78
STARGAZER
Award-winning astroimages
Michaels tips on
capturing galaxies
Use a camera a DSLR or a more
advanced CCD camera attached to a
telescope
Make the most of nights with clear, dark
and steady skies
Use image processing software to stack
and complete your images
Make sure you have lots of memory
available on your computer
79
STARGAZER
80
continues to perform.
Your portraits of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars are
respected and admired around the world, as the
comments on your Facebook posts show. Whats
the special appeal of photographing Solar System
objects for you and what is your favourite object
to image?
Their dynamic nature. They have ever-changing
weather, which makes them fascinating objects to
study in the long term. And my favourite object has
to be Jupiter. Ive had so many incredible views of it
through the years, and even today its weather keeps
us guessing as to what will happen next.
Its tempting for some beginners to look at your
gorgeous photos, showing the caramel cloud
bands of Jupiter and Saturns shining rings, and
think, Ill never be as good as Damian, I shouldnt
even bother trying! What advice would you give
to them?
Astrophotography should never really be viewed
as a competition. Enjoying it is far more important,
and although when starting out things can seem
daunting, with time and practice its possible for
Damian Peach
IAPY 2011 Our Solar System Winner:
Jupiter With Io And Ganymede
www.spaceanswers.com
LEARN
TO
INSPIRE
www.dphotographer.co.uk
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facebook.com/DigitalPhotographerUK
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STARGAZER
How to
Youll need:
Ephemeris
Tripod
DSLR camera
Telephoto lens
We are probably all familiar with total
solar eclipses and perhaps less so with
total lunar eclipses. The latter is when
the Moon passes into the shadow cast
by the Earth and so it grows dimmer
from our view than usual.
The Earths shadow, due to the way
the light is blocked by our planet, falls
into two parts. The darkest part of
the shadow is called the umbra and
therefore, when the Moon occasionally
passes through this, we see a total
lunar eclipse. However, unlike you
would expect, the Moon does not go
completely dark, but instead glows a
82
Timing is everything
A reliable clock or watch will enable
you to know the stages of the eclipse
anywhere from mid-eclipse all the way
through to the end.
STARGAZER
Penumbral eclipse
Be aware of exposures
Be consistent
www.spaceanswers.com
photos@spaceanswers.com
Enhance in Photoshop
83
STARGAZER
84
STARGAZER
01
Cassiopeia
03
1
2
3
4
5
02
04
www.spaceanswers.com
05
Perseus
85
STARGAZER
How to
Observe the
Andromeda
Galaxy
The famous spiral is
a breathtaking object
in the autumn skies.
Heres how to get
must-see sights
Star chart
Binoculars
Small telescope
86
R. Gendler
Youll need:
STARGAZER
photos@spaceanswers.com
Head west
Move westward along the line of stars of the Andromeda constellation until
you come to the next bright star, Delta Andromedae.
3
4
5
04
Explore the field of view and see just how much of the galaxy you can
observe. The bright core of M31 should be obvious with a H-Alpha filter.
05
Andromeda
Galaxy
03
02
01
Roberto Mura
www.spaceanswers.com
87
STARGAZER
X
LYN
NE
The Northern
Hemisphere
IGA
pe
ALIS
ARD
lla
D
C ou
l
u
ste ble
r
PE
IA
M31
MEDA
0.5 to 1.0
ES
0.0 to 0.5
PISC
-0.5 to 0.0
M33
Sirius (-1.4)
Magnitudes
ANDRO
TRIANGULU
M
NU
URA
03
ARIES
Mira
02
Spectral types
O-B
US
CET
M34
es
EAST
01
Algo
l
PER
SEU
S
Pleiad
TAURU
S
Ca
M3
aran
Ald
eb
Sep 2
R
AU
M3
7
Sep
16
AQU
A
RIU
1.0 to 1.5
1.5 to 2.0
2.5 to 3.0
3.0 to 3.5
3.5 to 4.0
4.0 to 4.5
88
Deep-sky objects
SE
2.0 to 2.5
NEPT
SCU
LPT
OR
Fom
a
lhau
Fainter
Planetary nebulae
Variable star
Galaxies
PISS
AUSTR
Observers note:
The night sky as it appears
on 16 September at
approximately 10pm (BST).
www.spaceanswers.com
NORTH
STARGAZER
Messier 56
C
V AN
E
NA ES
TIC
I
AJOR
URSA M
6
M10
M3
NW
BE CO
R M
E
NI A
CE
S
M5
1
CAM
ES
OT
BO
u
tur
Arc
M81
ELO
10
1
URSA North
MINOR Pole
CA
O
AC
NA
COROALIS
E
BOR
Polaris
M13
M92
DR
SSI
CE
ASU
A
ITT
SE
R
CA PEN
UD S
A
PEG
OPHI
L 7
VU M2
G
SA
M15
US ltair
A
IC 4665
M10
LA
CU
PE
M12
UCHU
M57
LYR
A
WEST
NUS
CYG
RT
A
SERPENS
CAPUT
HERCULES
Vega
b
Dene
M39
US
PH
E
LA
CE
PHIN
ILA
M1
1
U
AQ
M
SC
UT
U
TUNE
Saturnla
Nebu
Se
US
RICORN
CAP
SCIS
RINUS
1
5
M2
ECLIPTIC
Helix
Nebula
p1
M2
M2
SW
EQUULEUS
M1 M16
7
DEL
US
RI
TTA
I
G
SA
5
M5
OPIUM
MICROSC
Messier 74
SOUTH
www.spaceanswers.com
89
STARGAZER
pe
Send your astrophotography images to photos@spaceanswers.com
for a chance to see them featured in All About Space
Phil Howarth
Dorset, UK
Recently, Ive had an
explosion of creativity and
passion with capturing
fragments of the night
sky above us. With the
spectacular Perseid meteor
shower and perfect conditions for observing
the night sky, Ive been up late most nights to
take in the views. Combining my interests in
photography and astronomy has been a steep
learning curve but experiencing the silence,
solitude and breathtaking views has sparked
a new chapter in my photographic journey.
90
STARGAZER
Me & My Telescope
Warren Keller
West Virginia,
USA
Telescope:
16 RCOS
RitcheyChrtien
owned by the
University of North Carolina
Im an advanced
astrophotographer and teacher
and have been published as
an author and photographer in
many astronomy magazines,
as well as many places on the
internet, including NASAs
Astronomy Picture of the
Day (APOD). I was also a
consultant for Celestron where
I co-designed AstroFX software
for the Nightscape camera,
and Im now a part-time
representative for QSI Imaging.
IC 5332 in Sculptor
Jaspal Chadha
London, UK
Telescope: Takahashi 130
I have been imaging for
around two-and-a-half
years now after spending
years looking through
various telescopes and
eyepieces, where I enjoyed learning all about
the objects in the night sky. After months of
research and trial and error, I finally invested
in a setup that I thought would work for me.
My biggest challenge has been to fend off
the myths around imaging in light-polluted
areas, as I live in London. I started out with
DSLR astrophotography but now use a CCD
to capture a wide range of night-sky targets.
@spaceanswers
photos@spaceanswers.com
91
STARGAZER
Ideal for those looking to track objects in the night sky, this refractor
is suitable for touring the lunar surface and the Solar System
Telescope
advice
Cost: 250
From: Hama UK Ltd
Type: Refractor
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Focal length: 35.43
Best for...
Beginners
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Terrestrial views
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Lunar viewing
Bright deep-sky objects
Basic astrophotography
92
STARGAZER
Telescope advice
A German
equatorial
mount with
slow controls
allows for
tracking objects
in the night sky
93
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STARGAZER
In the shops
The latest books, apps, software, tech and
accessories for space and astronomy fans alike
Book
NASA Saturn V
Owners Workshop Manual
Cost: 22.99 (approx. $30)
From: Haynes
If youre a fan of all things spaceflight and are especially
keen on the incredibly powerful rocket that first took humans
to the Moon then we cant recommend this book enough.
Employing a clever spin on the famous Haynes manuals,
which you can purchase for a variety of vehicles, this book
is sure to delight any space fan. We also recommend the
Haynes Apollo 11, Lunar Rover, Moon and Gemini manuals as
companions to this hardback.
An impressive level of detail and beautifully coloured
technical diagrams kept us hooked from page one, allowing
us to absorb a deluge of information on the rockets various
systems and explore how the Saturn V pushed rocketry to
new heights. Rocket science is notorious for being difficult
to understand, but the author David Woods has made it
as accessible as it can be, unafraid to explore the intricate
details of the engine and guidance systems that powered this
wonderful vehicle.
While an index would have been a wonderful addition to
this excellent book, we cant fault Woods work in the slightest.
Clearly extremely knowledgeable about all of the details of the
Apollo era, Woods enthusiasm for what is one of the greatest
turning points in history leaps off the page so much so, that
we couldnt put it down. Highly recommended!
Software
Redshift 8 Premium
Cost: $59.99 (approx. 46)
From: Redshift Live
a PC that runs Windows 7 all the way through to
s a comprehensive guide to the heavens. Redshift
o travel across the Milky Way and beyond, giving
se-up view of planets, moons, asteroids and other
es in our Solar System. As expected, the Premium
software is one of the most professional pieces of
ble on the market. Within a few moments of using
immediately realised that it was worth paying for
ss superior planetarium software. However, in our
uld be more valuable if Redshift 8 was compatible
X. Redshift 8s design is impressive, but given that
e has changed since versions 6 and 7, it took some
nformation on celestial events. However, once we
his out the software was easy to use. A glossary of
ms is especially useful if youre looking to expand
ng vocabulary. We also discovered that we had to
e software on several occasions something that
riate users. Nevertheless, with a simulation of 100
lion stars, 1 million deep-sky objects and 500,000
asteroids, as well as breathtaking images, videos,
and animations, interactive multimedia tours and
telescope control, Redshift 8 has plenty to offer.
96
www.spaceanswers.com
STARGAZER
In the shops
App
GoSkyWatch Planetarium
Cost: 2.99 / $3.99
From: iTunes
While its possible to get stargazing apps for free on your
smartphone, there are a handful of portable planetariums that
are worth buying. GoSkyWatch Planetarium has all of the features
without compromising ease of use. It is easy to download and
responds well to constant use on an iPhone 6 without overheating
or crashing the device. But given its high performance graphics
and the amount of information it stores including 200 images of
planets and deep-sky objects, a Moon phase calendar and sunrise
and set times the app takes up quite a bit of memory.
When fired up, the sky was immediately correctly orientated
no matter how our phone was titled. The apps graphics were
pleasing to the eye and packed with detail. Some may be
put off by GoSkyWatch only showing naked-eye stars,
but we think that the 'sky view' looks a lot less cluttered.
Pinching the night sky allows you to see an entire
dome of stars as well as those below the horizon, while
stretching enabled us to zoom into sections of interest.
Thumbnail icons provide more detail on specific
objects with just one tap and a red backlight
preserves your night vision.
Tripod
Celestron AstroMaster tripod
Cost: 100 (approx. $130)
From: Celestron
The AstroMaster tripod, which is suitable for telescopes, spotting scopes
and binoculars, lives up to Celestrons reputation due to its exquisite
build. Whats more, the 3.6-kilogram (eight-pound) weight means that
observations are stable whatever instrument you attach to the mount
head. For the price, the AstroMaster tripod is certainly value for money
when measured up against other tripods in the same price range.
We fitted a range of observing aids from 25x100 binoculars to a
large spotting scope to the mount, which featured a screw in the
middle as well as a 6.35mm (quarter-inch) adapter for easy and
secure attachment. Panning was impressively smooth, allowing
for steady observations using just one hand. A good amount
of friction meant that the mount head didnt tilt or fall back
when we let the locking handle go, allowing for accurate
observations and no need for recalibration. While it suited
us, the height of the tripod could be quite problematic
for those who are taller. Overall, the AstroMaster is an
impressive piece of kit thats ideal for those looking
for an affordable, high-quality mount.
www.spaceanswers.com
97
SP
A E
F
Magazine team
Ansari
Contributors
Stuart Atkinson, Ninian Boyle, David Crookes, Ben Evans, Robin Hague,
Michael Kueppers, Dominic Reseigh-Lincoln, Rafael Maceira Garcia,
Patrick Martin, Jonathan OCallaghan, Giles Sparrow, Matt Taylor
98
Photography
A. Duro; A. Loll; A. Santerne; A.Van Der Geest; Adrian Mann; Alamy;
ALMA; AUI; Caltech; CfA; Chris Perry; CSA; the CLASH team; Cornell;
D. Coe; Dana Berry; Digitized Sky Survey 2; DLR; E. Jehin; ESA; ESO;
FreeVectorMaps.com; G. Bacon; Garrelt Mellema; GSFC; H. Ford; HEIC;
Hubble; The Hubble Heritage Team; IDA; J. Hester; J. Schmidt; JAXA;
JHUAPL; John Vermette; JPL; Jrgen Mai; K. Noll; L. Calada; Lockheed
Martin Corporation; Luk Kalista; M. Kornmesser; M. Postman;
Maciej Rebisz; Michoud; MPS; N. Benitez; Nicholas Forder; NASA; NSF;
PESSTO; Penn State University; R. Gendler; R. Hurt; Roberto Mura;
S.Bierwald; S. Smartt; Science Photo Library; Shutterstock; Skyworks
Digital; SpaceX; Steve Seipel; SETI Institute; STScl; T. Broadhurst;
Tobias Roetsch; TRAPPIST; UCLA; United Launch Alliance; UW; W. Liller;
Wil Tirion; WMAP Science Team
Advertising
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hang.deretz@imagine-publishing.co.uk
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01202 586424
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Imagine Publishing Ltd 2016
ISSN 2050-0548
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