Comet ISON: Unique Meteor Shower Mid-January 2014

This November, the second bright comet of 2013, Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), is predicted to be at its brightest.

Comets often produce plumes of dust. If these dust plumes intersect the orbit of the Earth, we observe meteor showers. Paul Wiegert of the University of Western Ontario has been modeling the dust plumes and offered the following prediction...

"For several days around January 12, 2014, Earth will pass through a stream of fine-grained debris from Comet ISON. The resulting shower could have some interesting properties."

While the comet is expected to brightest in late November, the Earth will not intersect the dust plume until a couple months later. And while this could be the brightest comet we've seen in many years, comets are notoriously unpredictable. However it is worth looking for Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) and the associated meteor shower. Note late November is merely when the comet is brightest, it should be visible before and after that time. See the following for more details...

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/19apr_isonids/
http://www.space.com/19408-bright-comets-approaching-2013.html

Optical Society of America Meeting

Hi All,

Please join us for the last AA OSA talk of the 2012-2013 school year.  The April AA OSA meeting is NOT on Tuesday, the 9th; it is on Tuesday, the 16th!  We will also be planning an "Optics & Beer" event for May.

David Shindell

AA OSA current president

Optical Society of America

Ann Arbor Local Section

Public Meeting Notice

Tuesday, 16 April 2013, 8:00-9:45 pm

Location: U-M EECS Room 1005

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Building

North Campus, University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Optical Signal Processing

Dr. Jeffrey A. Fessler

University of Michigan, EECS Dept., Ann Arbor  MI

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U-M Astronomy Stories

Here are some recent astronomy stories from the University of Michigan news service....

December 11, 2012: An older Vega: New insights about the star all others are measured by.

February 17, 2013:  Water on the moon: It’s been there all along.

March 15, 2013:  Young supernova remains found by U-M astronomer.

April 3, 2013:  Green Pea galaxies could help astronomers understand early universe.

April 8, 2013: Mars Science Lab update: What remains of Mars’ atmosphere is still dynamic.

Astronomy Sketch

Generally when people think of amateur astronomy they think of visually looking through a telescope, perhaps naked eye astronomy, binocular astronomy or even astrophotography. However this misses an important skill: making a sketch of what you see in the telescope. Learning how to do this will make you a better observer.

There is this article that describes this process: "Sketch the Skies and Improve your Eyes." by Mark Deprest Printed in Reflections: January, 1997.

Also here is a site with many astronomy sketches: Astronomy Sketch of the Day.

Open Houses at Peach Mountain

After hibernating for the winter, we have two open houses scheduled at Peach Mountain....

Saturday, March 9, 2013.

Saturday, March 16, 2013.

(either one may be cancelled if it is cloudy or too cold).

What is it?

Peach Mountain is a facility owned by the University of Michigan and is located within Stinchfield Woods (a wood lot owned by the University about four miles from Dexter, Michigan). There is a radio telescope and other equipment on Peach Mountain operated by various departments in the University. There is also a 24 inch optical telescope operated by an amateur astronomy club known as the “University Lowbrow Astronomers.”

The public has the opportunity to look through the 24 inch telescope and other telescopes. Members of the club often bring their own telescopes and visitors are also encouraged to bring their own telescopes and setup before its dark. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own binoculars.

When is it open?

Open houses begin at sunset. If conditions are unusually cold or if it is cloudy, the open house may be canceled. If in doubt, call (734) 975-3248 after 4 PM the day of the event to determine the status. Closing time is season dependent: 11:00 PM in winter, later for the rest of the year. Peach Mountain often gets quite cold, dress warmly. In warm weather mosquitoes can be a problem, so do not forget insect repellent.

(Go here for a calendar of open houses and other astronomy events.)

How do I get there? & Guidelines for Lowbrows and Guests

See Open Houses at Peach Mountain

Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS)

We have the first of two bright comets for 2013 near to closest approach this month. Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) should be at maximum brightness on March 10 (give or take a few days). For more information look at...

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance?pos=left

Keep in mind that comets are often unpredictable, they can be brighter or dimmer than expected. Also the best time to look for a comet isn't necessarily at maximum brightness (since it might be low in the sky or even below the horizon at that point). That will vary by where you are viewing the comet from.

The other bright comet is Comet ISON. It is expected to be at it is brightest in November. We'll get better information on ISON over the next few months.

Ann Arbor Optical Society of America Meeting

Please join the AA OSA Next Tuesday (March 12) for our 2013 National OSA Speaker Lecture - Dr. H. Philip Stahl of NASA Marshall SFC - "The James Webb Space Telescope: The First Light Machine".  The lecture promises to be very interesting and informative.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.

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