Friday 21 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Erasmus Reinhold

Erasmus Reinhold

Erasmus Reinhold was born on October 21st 1511 at Saalfield in Germany.  A professor of astronomy and mathematics he was a supporter of the Copernican system (1543). 



He calculated a set of tables of the motions of the celestial bodies based on the Copernican system which was published in 1551.He calculated that the length of the year was 365days, 5 hours, 55 minutes and 58seconds. 

He died on February 19th 1553. 


Thursday 20 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Sunspot 1171

Large Sunspot

There was a report of a large sunspot seen on October 20th 1171. It was seen by astronomers both in China and Korea.



 It was described as being as large as a peach.


Wednesday 19 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Thomas Cooke

Thomas Cooke 1807-1868

On October 19th 1868 Thomas Cooke died, he was one of the greatest telescope makers of all time.
Thomas Cooke was born on March 8th 1807 into a poor family of shoemakers in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  He taught himself and studied mathematics and optics.


He moved to York in 1829 and in 1855 he built one the Uk’s first purpose built telescope making factories, the Buckingham Works.

 He made not only telescopes but many other kinds of optical instruments and turret clocks. In 1866 he even built a small number of 3 wheeled steam cars.




Among the telescopes he made was one for HRH Prince Albert and in 1869 the largest telescope in the world at that time, the 25 inch Newall refractor. 



Tuesday 18 October 2016

The Astronomy Show 19th October 2106

The Astronomy Show Wednesday October 19th

On Drystone Radio this Wednesday on The Astronomy Show I will be looking at the Black Moon and having a close look at Andromeda and Pegasus.

The A-Z of constellations continues with Camelopardus the Giraffe. Not the most spectacular of constellations!! M9 in Ophiuchus the zodiacal constellation all astrologers ignore is our latest cluster in The Messier Marathon, and the list of bright stars continues this week with Agena in Centaurus the Centaur.

This plus the astronomical scrapbook, the latest astronomy news, together with what can be seen in the night sky this week plus the astronomical society news.

The Astronomy Show, every Wednesday between 3 pm and 5 pm with Martin Lunn on Drystone Radio 103. 5 listen on line at www.drystoneradio.com  or hear me via podcast.  
You can contact me at Drystone radio on martin.lunn@drystoneradio.com
If you missed the Astronomy show on Wednesday 19th October it is available on podcast for 30 days.


Go to www.drystoneradio.com and check the podcasts.  


Astrognome Scrapbook Venera 4

Venera 4

At 04.34 UT on October 18th 1967 Venera 4 became the first probe to transmit data from the atmosphere of another planet.



 The scientific instruments had been turned on 5 minutes after separation at an altitude of about 55 km and remained on for 93 minutes, returning 23 sets of readings, until it reached an altitude of roughly 25 km, where it was destroyed by the  atmospheric pressure  and  very high temperature around 277 C. The probe measured an atmospheric composition of 90 - 95% carbon dioxide.


 It was initially believed that the probe had reached the ground and the measured temperature and pressure represented the surface values on Venus.


Thursday 13 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Appleby Bridge Meteorite

Appleby Bridge Meteorite

It was 1914; World War 1 was in its first year when an event occurred at Appleby Bridge near Wigan in Lancashire, England, a visitor from outer space,  a meteor crashed to the ground.



It was the evening of Tuesday 13th October 1914 around 8.45 pm when local residents heard a thunderous detonation and saw a sudden and spectacular brightening of the night sky.

Many may have thought it was some kind of secret enemy weapon coming towards them from a Zeppelin airship. It was nothing whatsoever to do with the enemy but a meteorite.




On the following day an unusual stone was found embedded into the ground at Halliwell Farm. It was a Chondrite meteorite. It weighed 33 pounds (15 Kg) and was covered in a burnt powder with an interior of light grey spots of gold and metal.


Wednesday 12 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Voskhod 1

Voskhod 1

On October 12th, 1964, the USSR continued its pioneering conquest of space orbiting the first multi-member crew on board the Voskhod ("sunrise") spacecraft.



This was the seventh manned Soviet space flight. It was the first space flight to carry crewman into orbit, without the use of spacesuits, and the first to carry either an engineer or a physician into outer space. It also set a manned spacecraft altitude record of 336 km (209 mi).



The three cosmonauts Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov, and Boris Yegorov had no space suits in Voskhod 1 because there was neither the room nor the payload capacity for the Voskhod to carry them. The original Voskhod had been designed to carry two cosmonauts, but Soviet politicians pushed the Soviet space program into squeezing three cosmonauts into Voskhod 1.


The cosmonauts safely returned to Earth the following day October 13th 1964.


Tuesday 11 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Comet 1527

Comet 1527

On October 11th 1527 a comet was seen from Vuestrie in Upper Alsace, which was visible for a prolonged period of time. Its effect was so frightening and memorable that more than a century later people continued to write about it.



It was reported as being very long and yellow-red, similar to a mingled colour of blood. At the front the head like a bent arm, as if it had a sword in its hand and wanted to strike. And at the point of the sword there were three big stars and from the stars sprang a cloud-coloured stream, which was longer than the comet’s tail.


Monday 10 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Lunar Eclipse 1204 AD

Lunar Eclipse 1204 AD

A total eclipse of the Moon occurred on 10th October, 1204 with maximum eclipse at 17:42 UT. A dramatic total eclipse lasting 1 hour and 41 minutes plunged the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passed right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow.


 While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse. This was a great spectacle for everyone who saw it.


Friday 7 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Far Side of the Moon

First Photograph of Far Side of the Moon

For thousands of years people have looked up into the night sky to see the familiar sight of the Moon.



It was only on October 7th 1959 that people got to see what the other side of the Moon looked like.
It was the Russian space craft Luna 3 which took  by today’s standards a very blurry picture that gave scientists their first glimpse of the far side of the Moon.



Luna 3 took 29 pictures from about 40,000 miles above the surface of the Moon.



That first photograph was shown live on the BBC TV programme the Sky at Night with Patrick Moore. He always considered that this was one of the great highlights of the long running series.


Thursday 6 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS died on October 6th 1892, he was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets.




He appears to have had an interest in astronomy as one of his most famous poems 'Locksley Hall' contains many astronomical references. There are other astronomy references in some of his other poems.


Wednesday 5 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook William Lassell

William Lassell 1799-1880

On October 5th 1880 the English astronomer William Lassell died.  He was born on June 18th, 1799 in Bolton, Lancashire.



Although working in the brewing industry he had a great interest in astronomy and in 1844 he constructed a 24 inch reflecting telescope. With this telescope, the first of its size to be set in an equatorial mounting, he discovered Triton the largest moon of Neptune on October 10th 1846, only 17 days after Neptune itself had been discovered.




In 1848 he jointly discovered the moon Hyperion which orbits Saturn. Lassell discovered Ariel and Umbriel which orbit Uranus in 1851–52 while at Malta, and there in 1861 he erected a 48-inch reflector, which he used to observe and catalogue hundreds of new nebulae.

 He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1849 and was president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1870 to 1872.


Tuesday 4 October 2016

Astrognome Scrapbook Gregorian Calendar

Gregorian Calendar

On October 4th 1582 the Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII. It was designed to replace the Julian calendar which had been introduced by Julius Caesar and was slowly becoming more inaccurate. 




 This had amounted to 14 days by Pope Gregory’s time, he based his reform on restoration of the vernal equinox, then falling on March 11, to the date (March 21) it had in ad 325, the time of the Council of Nicaea, and not on the date of the equinox at the time of the birth of Christ, when it fell on March 25.



 The change was effected by advancing the calendar 10 days after Oct. 4, 1582, the day following being reckoned as October 15.


Monday 3 October 2016

The Astronomy Show

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

On Drystone Radio this Wednesday on The Astronomy Show as it is the first show of the month there will be  a tour of the night sky during October looking at the constellations that can seen their main features and any legends connected with them.

The A-Z of constellations continues with Bootes the Herdsman the only constellation beginning with the letter B. M7 in Scorpius is our latest cluster in The Messier Marathon, and the list of bright stars continues this week with Achernar in Eridanus the River.

This plus the astronomical scrapbook, the latest astronomy news, together with what can be seen in the night sky this week plus the astronomical society news.

The Astronomy Show, every Wednesday between 3 pm and 5 pm with Martin Lunn on Drystone Radio 103. 5 listen on line at www.drystoneradio.com  or hear me via podcast.  You can contact me at Drystone radio on martin.lunn@drystoneradio.com

If you missed the Astronomy show on Wednesday 5th October it is available on podcast for 30 days.


Go to www.drystoneradio.com and check the podcasts.