MESSAGE OF THE MONTH<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an image of the Moon\u2019s clair-obscur effects, the Lunar X and V, as taken on Friday 8 April around 9:30pm, which were forecast in BBC <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>Magazine. <\/em>They are sometimes elusive from my location as they appear either at daytime or after the Moon has set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was at my usual Friday night haunt, the Chesterfield Observatory on the evening of the 8th. Here, we are lucky enough to have a big 18-inch reflector housed in the dome, so I took my chance. This all sounds like technical stuff, but the reality is that this was taken using my old, \u2018not too smart\u2019 phone, handheld to the 40mm eyepiece in the 18-inch telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I had been at home I would have used my much smaller telescopes, which would have been quite adequate. It just shows that you don’t need too much technical or expensive equipment, or even expertise, to achieve good results. I\u2019m really pleased with this and the simplicity of it. Anybody can do it, just give it a try!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sue Silver, Sheffield<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What a fantastic image, Sue, the two clairobscur effects really stand out. Well done! \u2013Ed. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n The \u2018Message of the Month\u2019 writer will receive a bundle of two top titles courtesy of astronomy publisher Philip\u2019s: Nigel Henbest\u2019s Stargazing 2022 <\/em>and Robin Scagell\u2019s Guide to the Northern Constellations<\/em><\/p>\n\n Winner\u2019s details will be passed on to Octopus Publishing to fulfil the prize<\/p>\n\n Towards the end of March this year I took an icy walk in Manhattan, back and forth from 2nd Avenue to the East River in the two hours before dawn, stalking the triangle of planets in the constellation of Capricorn, the Sea Goat. On the other side of the constellation, the 28th-day waning crescent Moon was to slowly process across the planets and then slide below them towards Aquarius a few nights later. I was reminded of how, for four days after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, here in New York you could see every star in the sky before electricity was restored. <\/p>\n\n Felton Davis, 2nd Avenue Star Watchers, New York City, US<\/p>\n\n Do you have any idea what these bright streaks in my image are? I\u2019ve recorded meteors many times and these leave a bright, thin trail as they streak across the sky. But these bright objects startled me when they flashed by NGC 2362 on 10 February 2021. They were accompanied by additional \u2018explosive\u2019 flashes, two of which are reproduced here. As I was filming I caught the whole sequence. Could they be fireballs?<\/p>\n\n Paul Sparham, via email<\/p>\n\n Thanks for getting in touch, Paul. The bright flashes in your image look a lot like sunlight glinting off two satellites. \u2013 Ed. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n Regarding the article \u2018Pioneers of dark matter\u2019 (May 2022), shouldn\u2019t the scientific community resolve this matter? If the proposers cannot prove it exists and the opponents cannot \u2018prove the negative\u2019, that it does not exist, then there\u2019s a stalemate.<\/p>\n\n Milgrom, who proposes the effect is a function of gravity at the edges of galaxies, should be accepted. That will bring an end to the speculation that dark matter exists. At least Milgrom has proof, using gravity, and this will surely add to our understanding of this phenomenon; even if measurement is impracticable due to distance. <\/p>\n\n Stuart Hunter, via email<\/p>\n\n This may seem a silly question from a fully grown adult, but I’m struggling to explain to my three-year-old daughter, so here we go\u2026 why can we see a full Moon? If the Moon has to be on the other side of Earth to the Sun for us to see a full Moon, why doesn\u2019t Earth’s shadow block out the light. And how does the Sun’s light reach the Moon with Earth in the way?<\/p>\n\n I\u2019m hoping I\u2019m not the only person to think this and hope, maybe, other readers must have thought this at some point.<\/p>\n\n Adam Rulewski, via email<\/p>\n\n That\u2019s a great question Adam. We see a full Moon when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in a line because the Moon\u2019s orbit is angled about 5\u00b0 from being lined up with the ecliptic (Earth\u2019s orbit of the Sun). At the distances involved, that 5\u00b0 angle is enough to allow sunlight to pass Earth and reach the Moon. \u2013 Ed. <\/em><\/p>\n\n \u2022 In the picture of M65 and M66 in \u2018From city lights to deep space\u2019 (April 2022 issue, page 30), the caption incorrectly said the two galaxies are approximately 35 lightyears apart. M65 and M66 are in fact 160,000 lightyears apart and around 35 million lightyears away.<\/p>\n\n \u2022 In the star chart of Coma Berenices in \u2018From city lights to deep space\u2019 (April 2022 issue, page 32), NGC 4564 should have been labelled NGC 4565.<\/p>\n\n \u2022 In the caption to the image of an astronaut collecting rock samples on the lunar surface in \u2018Apollo 16\u2019 (April 2022 issue, page 35), Charles Duke was incorrectly named as Charles Young.<\/p>\n\n \u2022 In the caption to the extravehicular activity map in \u2018Apollo 16\u2019 (April 2022 issue, page 37), Charles Duke was incorrectly named as George Duke.<\/p>\n\n Peter Lewis @PeterLewis55 \u2022 Apr 21<\/span> WE ASKED: What is your favourite astronomy fact?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Carol Miller <\/strong>1,300 Earths could fit into Jupiter. This fact blows my mind and it\u2019s something I regularly tell others when pointing out Jupiter in the night sky.<\/p>\n\n Austin Monks <\/strong>The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but also 400 times closer to us, which makes them both appear equal in size in the sky (most of the time). This allows us to have stunning solar eclipses complete with the Sun\u2019s corona.<\/p>\n\n Steven Johnson <\/strong>Venus\u2019s day is longer than its year.<\/p>\n\n Mihai Saiph <\/strong>The further we look into deep space, the younger we see the Universe.<\/p>\n\n Debz Townsend <\/strong>Jupiter is the fastest spinning planet in the Solar System and it has rings!<\/p>\n\n Stephen Webber <\/strong>Saturn would float in the bath.<\/p>\n\n Alex James <\/strong>There are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on Earth.<\/p>\n\n Martin Bailey <\/strong>The rocks in Saturn\u2019s rings are so close together that you could walk on them like stepping stones.<\/p>\n\n anas.albounni \u2022 15 Apr 2022 Swindon Stargazers was founded in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy, by Peter Struve, a descendant of the famous family of astronomers such as Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, who is best known for his study of double stars, and after whom many are named.<\/p>\n\n The club exists to promote the hobby of astronomy and we meet once a month in our local village hall, where speakers give talks on aspects of observational and scholarly astronomy.<\/p>\n\n The club conducts many outreach activities, such as working with uniformed groups on their astronomy badges, and with groups such as the National Trust at Avebury. We\u2019ve also worked with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust at its Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve, Women\u2019s Institutes, libraries and schools, and with Marlborough Town Council for the Marlborough Dark Skies Festival, where we have recently organised our \u2018Stargazing on the common\u2019 event.<\/p>\n\n Members also support a Swindon U3A Astronomy Group. The club has a number of telescopes that can be loaned to members, and practical astronomy is actively encouraged. Members also regularly attend star parties around the country.<\/p>\n\n The club is a member of the Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS) and is run for the benefit of its members to support and encourage their interest in astronomy. <\/p>\n\n Robin Wilkey, Chair, Swindon Stargazers <\/p>\n\nA simple yet dramatic capture<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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This month\u2019s top prize: two Philip\u2019s titles<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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\n\nManhattan morning<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nBright flashes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Dark matters<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Moon lighting<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
\n\nCORRECTIONS<\/h5>\n\n
\n\nTweet<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Development of massive sunspots that have appeared since Easter Sunday (numbered AR2993-6). Inspired by @Avertedvision @ skyatnightmag @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @VirtualAstro<\/span><\/p>\n\nOn Facebook<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Instagram<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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With the rise of the first day of Ramadan, 2 April, an early morning shot of the Milky Way from @eao_ae with my gear in the foreground. Nikon D810a, Nikon 12\u201324 2.8, 10 subs, 15″ each, ISO 6400, on a tripod, stacked in Sequator, processed in Photoshop. @bbcskyatnightmag<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n\nSOCIETY IN FOCUS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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