Astrognome Scrapbook Mariner 9

Mariner 9

On November 14^th 1971 Mariner 9 became the first space craft to enter orbit around another planet in this case Mars. Mariner 9 would send back over 7,000 photographs or about 85% of the surface of Mars before the mission ended in October 1972. Previous missions which have been fly byes had sent back only small numbers of photographs.

Mariner 9 photographed river beds, craters, extinct volcanoes including Olympus Mons the largest volcano on Mars and in the solar system.

 Also photographed were canyons including the Valles Marineris, a canyon so big that it is bigger the USA. Valles Marineris is named after the Mariner 9 space craft.

Today Mariner 9 remains as a derelict satellite in orbit around Mars. It is expected to remain in orbit until approximately 2022, when the spacecraft will probably enter the Martian atmosphere and either burn up or crash into the planet's surface.

Astrognome Scrapbook SN 1572

SN 1572

Sometimes called Tycho’s Star this was a Super Nova, this is a star that destroys itself in a massive explosion. It was not discovered by Tycho but he gave the most accurate series of observations on the star, which is why the star bears his name.  This supernova would become the most brilliant object in the sky during the last 500 years.

He first saw the star on November 11^th 1572. For several weeks it outshone every star in the night sky. It could even be seen in daylight, when the Sun was low in the sky. It was about -4.5 making slightly brighter than Venus.

At this time of course people believed that the heavens never changed so to see a new star suddenly appear certainly caused a massive amount of interest.

 The star was visible to the naked eye (there were no telescopes at this point) for about 16 months fading from view in March 1574.

Tycho Brahe 1546-1601 was the last of the great pre telescopic astronomers.

Astrognome Scrapbook Transit of Earth

Transit of Earth

The next transit of Earth as seen from Mars will occur on November 10^th 2084.

 From Mars the Earth will appear as a small dark spot moving across the face of the Sun.

Astrognome Scrapbook Comet Arend Roland

Comet Arend–Roland

Comet Arend–Roland was discovered on November 8, 1956, by Belgian astronomers Sylvain Arend and Georges Roland on photographic plates. 

At that time the comet was at visual magnitude 10, in April 1957 it reached magnitude -1, making it one of the brightest comets of the mid-20^th century. At its closest it was within 29 million miles of the Sun.

By May 1957 it was below naked eye visibility. 

The Astronomy Show November 9th

The Astronomy Show 9th November

Discover what a super moon is, you can see the biggest super moon of the 21st century on November 14th, there won't be a better one until November 2034!!

With the longer darker nights discover what can be seen in the night sky this week.

The regular features include, The A-Z of constellations which this week is Cancer the Crab, the bright star is Altair in the constellation of Aquila the Eagle and we have reached Messier 10 in the Messier Marathon.

This plus the latest astronomy news, the astronomy scrapbook and what is happening in the regional astronomy societies. And even a little music!

Drystone Radio 103.5 on line and via podcast

Astrognome Scrapbook Transit of Mercury 1631

Transit of Mercury 1631

The first person to observe a transit of Mercury was the French astronomer Pierre Gassendi, on November 7^th 1631.

 Gassendi was able to use the newly published Rudolphine tables of Johannes Kepler, the first man to understand the elliptical nature of planetary orbits around the Sun.

 In the 1627 tables, which were dedicated to Kepler’s patron, Emperor Rudolph II of the Holy Roman Empire, Kepler made a number of predictions of upcoming events – in particular, a transit of Mercury in November 1631 and a transit of Venus in December of the same year.

Kepler died in 1630 without knowing if his predictions were accurate

Astrognome Scrapbook Edward Brerewood

Edward Brerewood

The first professor of astronomy at Gresham College died on November 4^th 1613. It is believed that he was born in 1565. He was an antiquary and mathematician. He was professor of Gresham College between 1596/7.

He was born at Chester, England