{"id":37061,"date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=37061"},"modified":"2023-03-30T09:02:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T09:02:21","slug":"interactive-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2022\/10\/20\/interactive-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Interactive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Emails \u2013 Letters \u2013 Tweets \u2013 Facebook \u2013 Instagram \u2013 Kit questions<\/p>\n\n

Email us at inbox@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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MESSAGE OF THE MONTH<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The excitement is building <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Proud Lego architect Jack with his Apollo lander <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My son Jack is fascinated by all things space. He was delighted to receive this Lego Creator NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander set for Christmas from his grandparents. We decided to tackle this challenging build during the summer holidays, when we\u2019d have the time to dedicate to each of the sections. It took us over four weeks to build and Jack did a fantastic job as it\u2019s aimed at 16-year-olds upwards and he\u2019s seven! The detail is fantastic. We really enjoyed talking about the lunar module\u2019s features and all of its accessories. Inside the module there is a detailed interior with room for two astronauts. Our summer Lego build happened to coincide with the [planned] Artemis I launch, which Jack took great interest in! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire <\/strong>Moore, <\/strong>Bristol <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s wonderful to see such an avid young space fan as Jack, Claire! I\u2019m sure he\u2019s anticipating Artemis I\u2019s launch as much as we are. \u2013 Ed. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

This month\u2019s top prize: two Philip\u2019s titles<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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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

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Moon-bound tribute <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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I\u2019m a physicist, astronomer and science communicator from Ireland and I had the good fortune of meeting Sir Patrick Moore over the years. About 12 years ago he even phoned to congratulate me when I had my science book Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone <\/em> published. Back in March this year I added Sir Patrick Moore\u2019s name, as well as Sir Isaac Newton\u2019s, to the NASA portal for name submissions for the Artemis I mission. I thought perhaps nobody else might do it, and how appropriate it was for both Newton and Moore to be included in this first opportunity to send names to the Moon. Their NASA boarding passes will fly around the Moon with Artemis I when it launches.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Kevin Nolan, Dublin <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Catch the ISS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

My wife Lindsey and I are keen sailors and recently undertook a 6,500km voyage from Panama to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. While we were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean I was musing that the nearest person to us was in fact an astronaut on the ISS, as we were also outside normal shipping lanes. On checking the historical path of the Space Station I think this may well be true, as the ISS is only about 400km above Earth. Similar musings left me thinking that\u00a0there were points on Earth that no one in history had ever sailed over, based on passages since 1800s. But a question which I hoped other readers might answer: if the ISS trailed a wire down to us on our boat while sailing, with a shielded weight on it, I assume the drag would pull it out of the sky, but how close would the space station get to our boat? <\/p>\n\n

Andrew Snowdon, Great Yarmouth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Space rocks? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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The two rocks that reader Vicki found in her garden <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Could any other readers tell me if these two pieces of rock (above) are meteorites? I found them in my front garden the other day and as I clear the weeds regularly, I know they\u2019ve only recently appeared. The larger piece is 3cm in length. If they did fall from space, luckily they missed my car, parked only about a metre away! <\/p>\n\n

Vicki Moles, via email <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Mobile merits <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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The Milky Way on a smartphone <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

I have been experimenting with my phone camera in pro mode outside at night, and at about 10pm on 21 September I was able to get this image of part of the Milky Way from our back garden. I had the phone secured by an adaptor to a tripod and I set the camera to ISO 1700 with a shutter speed of 10 seconds. I adjusted the settings and filters after the image was taken and I\u2019m more than happy with the result. I am getting more into backyard astronomy and just wanted to encourage others to take a look outside and capture a photo. It\u2019s amazing what you can get with today\u2019s smartphones. <\/p>\n\n

Carol Miller, Lanivet, Cornwall <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Where am I? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Where in the Universe is the Milky Way? I thought that it was in the Virgo Supercluster. However, I recently saw this diagram (below) which shows our Galaxy in the middle. Can you help? <\/p>\n\n

Grant Ross, via email <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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The all-sky near-infrared view seen by reader Grant that puts us in the middle <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

You\u2019re right that on the largest of scales our Galaxy\u2019s location in the Universe is in the Virgo Supercluster, Grant. The diagram you saw, with the Milky Way in the middle, shows the whole of the sky from Earth, which explains why our home Galaxy is in the centre. It\u2019s a near-infrared view, so it reveals all the galaxies beyond our own, and they have been colour-coded by redshift, with blue closest and red furthest away. \u2013 Ed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

CORRECTIONS<\/h5>\n\n

The DIY paper sundial made by Akira Bartram, which was the Message of the Month in our September 2022 issue, was made together with her grandfather Peter Berkin, not Peter Bartram as printed. <\/p>\n\n

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Tweet <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Sue Robinson @suerobphoto \u2022 28 Aug<\/span>

My last night cat-sitting on the outskirts of London. Couldn\u2019t resist the sky, even though I knew there\u2019d be aircraft trails. This was just 2 hours\u2019 worth. #Jupiter <\/span> is the bright, thickest line bottom right, disappearing behind a tree and phone mast. #space #startrails #colours <\/span><\/p>\n\n

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ON FACEBOOK <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

WE ASKED: What are the best things to observe on the Moon, and what are your tips for seeing them? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Debz Townsend <\/strong>I use my Celestron 81055 NexYZ smartphone adaptor attached to the eyepiece of my 8SE. I like to look at craters and I\u2019ve even captured the Apollo landing site. <\/p>\n\n

Eric Grieve <\/strong>Bay of Rainbows every time. <\/p>\n\n

Mihai Saiph <\/strong>Aristarchus crater, Schr\u00f6ter\u2019s Valley and Clavius with its numerous craterlets inside. Bino viewing at 90\u2013100x can be very addictive. For imaging a sharp \u2018mineral\u2019 Moon, a long-focal mosaic with a planetary camera (preferably mono), blended with a full-disc DSLR image (for the colour) gives awesome results. <\/p>\n\n

Bill Watson <\/strong>Progressive shadows. <\/p>\n\n

Carol Miller <\/strong>The Alpine Valley, Tycho and Copernicus. One top tip is to get familiar with the lunar phases so you know when to start observing, especially if using a telescope. <\/p>\n\n

Darren Foy <\/strong>No Moon is a good Moon. I\u2019m all for deep sky! <\/p>\n\n

Instagram <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

dane_1984 \u2022 26 September <\/p>\n\n

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Jupiter with Europa and Io from last night. The seeing conditions were horrendous to begin with but luckily got a little better. #jupiter #planets #celestron #nexstar6se #televue #powermate #zwoasi224mc @bbcskyatnightmag<\/a> @celestronuk<\/a> @zwoasi<\/a> @televueoptics <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n

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SOCIETY IN FOCUS <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Usk Astronomical Society meets regularly to observe the night sky and encourage the general public to enjoy the wonders of the cosmos. The society is over 40 years old and has about 30 members. Before the pandemic we met weekly, but that was reduced to fortnightly meetings online; we\u2019ve since moved to hybrid meetings. We welcome speakers from the society and beyond, and have our own observatory with a 12-inch reflecting telescope. <\/p>\n\n

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Nick (far left) and Usk Astronomical Society members with the new inflatable planetarium they use for outreach events <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

We\u2019re heavily involved with outreach, visiting schools, museums, youth groups and events with our inflatable planetarium and telescopes. We work closely with Brecon Beacons Dark Sky Reserve and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, through which we recently acquired a new digital planetarium, which we put to good use at an outreach event this summer. In September 2022 we attended the Usk Show, a large country fair, and welcomed about 200 visitors to the planetarium throughout the day. We strongly promote messages around preserving dark skies and avoiding light pollution for the benefit of wildlife, the environment and human health. If you\u2019re based in the Usk area, feel free to get in touch and get involved! Nick Busby, Chairman, Usk Astronomical Society
www.uskastronomicalsociety.org.uk<\/a> <\/p>\n\n

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SCOPE DOCTOR<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our equipment specialist, Steve Richards, cures your optical ailments and technical maladies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email your queries to scopedoctor@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a full-time wheelchair user, I find the eyepiece height on a refractor perfect. Now I\u2019m looking for a more advanced, yet lightweight model. Do you have any suggestions? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALUN WATSON <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with any telescope choice, there is no one telescope that is ideal for all celestial objects, but as you are past the beginner\u2019s stage, and bearing in mind your wheelchair use, a refractor with an ED doublet lens would most likely be the most appropriate. A telescope like this will afford you excellent views of a wide range of objects, will cool down faster than a triplet lens and will help to keep the overall weight at manageable proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00de StellaMira\u2019s relatively lightweight 110mm ED f\/6 refractor could fit the bill<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Generally, for deep-sky observing the larger the aperture the better, so something in the 100mm to 120mm range would make most sense. The StellaMira 110mm ED f\/6 refractor, with a focal length of 660mm and weighing in at just over 5kg, immediately springs to mind as it has an excellent ED doublet lens and a smoothly operating 2.7-inch dual-speed rack and pinion focuser. Also worth considering is the Altair Starwave 102ED FPL53 refractor, with a focal length of 714mm and weighing in at around 4kg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WWW.FIRSTLIGHTOPTICS.COM<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Steve\u2019s top tip <\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

What is a CMOS camera? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an astro imaging context, CCD (charge-coupled device) camera sensors have been the sensor of choice for the long exposures required for capturing dim, deep-sky objects, as they produce a good signal-to-noise ratio and are easy to calibrate. CMOS (complementary metal\u2013oxide\u2013semiconductor) sensor cameras have been used in CCTV and DSLR cameras for many years where shorter exposures are normally used and the inherent \u2018noise\u2019 produced by the sensor is less intrusive. However, in recent years CMOS sensor technology has improved to the point where their sensitivity means that light from dim objects can be captured quickly, producing excellent images using shorter exposures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Richards is a keen astro imager and an astronomy equipment expert <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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PHOTOS: IPAC\/Caltech by Thomas Jarre <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emails \u2013 Letters \u2013 Tweets \u2013 Facebook \u2013 Instagram \u2013 Kit questions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":37725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"20","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"20","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_20-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_20-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_external_id":"November-2022-20-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2022-20-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086558||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086558||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.210","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.210","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.210","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.210","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview.jpg",1600,1259,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview-300x236.jpg",300,236,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview-768x604.jpg",768,604,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview-1024x806.jpg",800,630,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview-1536x1209.jpg",1536,1209,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/10\/IMG_20220921_230900_preview.jpg",1600,1259,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Emails \u2013 Letters \u2013 Tweets \u2013 Facebook \u2013 Instagram \u2013 Kit questions","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37061"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38606,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37061\/revisions\/38606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}