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Ionospheric and solar-terrestrial physicist, Professor Tudor Jones, has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year honours list.
 Professor Jones, a Fellow of the RAS, has been active in his research fields for many years, setting up the atmospheric physics group at the University of Leicester and holding many external roles including a Visiting Professorship at Lancaster University.
UK honours system (including 2011 New Year list)
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 January 2011 15:24 |
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Space and astronomy digest: January 2011 (RAS PN 10/67)
The latest digest of forthcoming space and astronomy events, from the RAS. Events this month include the Stargazing Live TV programmes, a partial solar eclipse and the maximum of the Quadrantid meteor shower.
3-5 January: ‘Stargazing Live’ programmes
For three successive nights, the BBC will be broadcasting the ‘Stargazing Live’ programmes, each transmitted from 2000 – 2100 GMT on the UK television channel BBC2. Presented by Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’ Briain, the shows coincide with astronomical events including the maximum of the Quadrantid meteor shower and a partial solar eclipse.
Images made by research scientists using the most powerful telescopes on Earth will complement those of backyard astronomers and the programme also includes advice from experts on how to get started in astronomy using minimal or no equipment.
Partly supported by the RAS, local astronomical societies and schools will be taking part by hosting a range of community events, offering people across the UK the chance to become involved in this celebration of astronomy.
BBC: Stargazing Live
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wnvpf
4 January: Maximum of Quadrantid meteor shower
Early on the morning of 4 January, the Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its annual peak. Meteors (or 'shooting stars') are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed, heating up and then disintegrating. The superheated air around them appears as a short-lived streak of light that quickly fades from view.
In this shower the meteors appear to emanate from a point in the long-defunct constellation of Quadrans Muralis (now part of the modern grouping Bootes) hence the name Quadrantid. The shower could be associated with the minor planet A/ 2003 EH1, an object which may be the comet C/ 1490 Y1, observed by astronomers in the far east more than five centuries ago.
This year the peak of the shower is predicted to be at 0110 GMT on 4 January and is a few hours before a partial solar eclipse, meaning that the Moon is New and its light will not affect views of the meteors.
At that time, with a clear sky and at sites far away from the lights of towns and cities, it may be possible to see more than 80 meteors each hour.
International Meteor Organisation
http://www.imo.net
Meteorwatch
http://www.meteorwatch.org
CONTACT
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 / 4582 x214
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email:
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4 January: Partial solar eclipse
On 4 January, people in Europe (including the United Kingdom), northern Africa and western Asia will be able to observe a partial eclipse of the Sun. Solar eclipses happen when the Moon is New and passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun’s light to a degree that depends on the geometry of the event. (Most months the Moon and its shadow pass too far north or south for an eclipse to take place).
This time Northern Sweden will see the deepest eclipse, where the Moon will appear to block more than 80% of the visible solar surface, but the Sun will be low on the horizon throughout the event.
In the UK, the eclipse will be underway at sunrise. From London it will become visible when the Sun rises at 0806 GMT (all times that follow are GMT), with maximum eclipse at 0812, when two thirds of the Sun’s area will be obscured. The partial eclipse ends at 0931. Observers in other locations will see a different view and for example in Glasgow at deepest eclipse less than 40% of the Sun’s area will be blocked.
Partial solar eclipses can be spectacular, but looking at the Sun directly (whether during an eclipse or at other times) can lead to permanent and severe eye damage and even blindness. The RAS therefore supports advice from the UK Chief Medical Officer, UK Department of Health and the Royal National Institute of Blind People that observers should NOT look directly at the Sun during this event.
Observers should also NEVER look directly at the Sun through a telescope, pair of binoculars or similar optical equipment.
Safe methods for observing the eclipse include:
• Facing away from the Sun, using a pinhole in one piece of card to project the Sun on to another piece of card (observers should NOT look though the pinhole)
• Observing the Sun using properly designed and certified solar filters bearing the CE mark that are available from reputable astronomical suppliers
Full Department of Health advice on viewing the eclipse
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Primarycare/Optical/DH_123051
HMNAO guide to eclipses
http://www.eclipse.org.uk
NASA eclipse home page
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
CONTACTS
Robert Massey, RAS (details above)
UK Department of Health Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7210 5521
9-13 January: 217th American Astronomical Society Meeting, Seattle, United States
From 9-13 January, almost 2700 astronomers will gather in Seattle for the 217th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The Meeting brings together researchers from across the world, who will be discussing the latest advances in their fields. A full programme of press conferences takes place at the Meeting, with associated releases available from the AAS Press Office.
AAS Press Information
http://aas.org/meetings/aas217/press
CONTACT
Dr Rick Fienberg
AAS Press Officer
Email:
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11 January: RAS lunchtime lecture: Life under bombardment
Dr Jane Greaves of the University of St Andrews will give the latest RAS public lecture at 1300 GMT on 11 January. She will discuss the time early in the history of the Solar system when comets bombarded the planets. On Earth, some of these impacts were extreme enough to melt landmasses or remove the atmosphere.
In the present day humanity is relatively safe from these events, but Dr Greaves will show how other stars may have their own vast swarms of comets around them. Finally, she will discuss the implications of bombardment of other Earth-like planets and whether the development of life would be helped or hindered by these violent events.
RAS events and meetings
http://www.ras.org.uk/events-and-meetings
CONTACT
Robert Massey (details above)
14 January: RAS specialist discussion meeting: The early impact of Herschel: Results from the first year of the mission
On 14 January astronomers and space scientists will gather at the Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, London, for a conference on the work of the Herschel Space Telescope. The largest infrared telescope ever placed in space, scientists have been using Herschel to study the universe since it began full operation in January 2010. Delegates will present the latest results, highlighting key findings from observations of objects in the Solar system, stars, star forming regions and distant galaxies.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the RAS for free admission.
RAS events and meetings
http://www.ras.org.uk/events-and-meetings
CONTACT
Robert Massey (details above)
14 January: RAS specialist discussion meeting: The UK in Aurora II
The second UK in Aurora meeting will be held at the Geological Society, Burlington House, London on 14 January. Scientists will discuss developments in planetary science with topics including Mars, ExoMars missions and instruments and lunar science.
Bona fide members of the media who wish to attend this meeting should present their credentials at the reception desk of the Geological Society for free admission.
RAS events and meetings
http://www.ras.org.uk/events-and-meetings
CONTACT
Robert Massey (details above)
All month: January’s night sky
Information on stars, planets, comets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena is available from the British Astronomical Association (BAA).
BAA
http://www.britastro.org
BAA Sky Notes: December and January
http://britastro.org/journal/pdf/120-6skynotes.pdf
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS, www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Friday, 31 December 2010 13:33 |
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has published the funding allocation for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the body responsible for supporting most research astronomy in the UK.
 In the allocated budget, astronomy will receive resources declining from £77.3m in 2010-11 to £68.9m in 2014-15, which although a serious cut is in line with the existing delivery plan. Membership of the European Southern Observatory continues, however the UK will still have no access to optical telescopes in the northern hemisphere after 2012. The Drayson Review recommendations are implemented, meaning that STFC funding is now much less affected by fluctuations in the level of international subscriptions and by the need to operate facilities on behalf of other research councils.
Professor Roger Davies, President of the RAS, commented on the settlement:
"We welcome the continuation of ESO membership, the implementation of the Drayson Review and the newly announced scheme for early career researchers is also good news and allows researchers to continue to play a serious international role. We note that the Spending Review allocations have not caused any further damage to the financial position of UK astronomy.
Nonetheless, British astronomy still faces a decline in funding in the next few years, with much more limited opportunities for the postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers that are the lifeblood of research in the UK. The prospective removal of access to optical telescopes in the northern hemisphere is also deeply worrying. We therefore urge STFC and BIS, working with the astronomical community, including the RAS, to find a solution to these pressing issues for our research base."
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 December 2010 10:02 |
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People in the UK will have the chance to see a total eclipse of the Moon at sunrise on the morning of 21 December, the date of the winter solstice. Unusually, for British observers this eclipse includes a brief period when both the Sun and eclipsed Moon are above the horizon and precisely opposite each other in the sky.
An image of the lunar eclipse of 9 January 2001. Credit: Nick James
The Moon travels to a similar position every month, but the tilt of the lunar orbit means that it normally passes above or below the terrestrial shadow. A Full Moon is seen but no eclipse takes place.
Lunar eclipses are visible wherever the Moon is above the horizon. This time the entire eclipse will be visible from the whole of North America, the eastern Pacific and the northwest of South America. From western Europe, including the UK and Ireland, the Moon will set during the eclipse as the Sun rises.
It begins at 0528 GMT (all times that follow are GMT) when the Moon enters the lightest part of the Earth’s shadow, the penumbra. Soon after the Moon should have a slight yellowish hue. The Moon enters the darker part of the terrestrial shadow, the umbra, at 0632.
The total phase (totality) begins when it is completely immersed in the umbra at 0740. From London, the Moon will then only be 3 degrees above the northwestern horizon, so observers will need a good unobstructed view to see it. In the northwest of the UK, the prospects are better. In Glasgow at the same time, the Moon will be 7.5 degrees high and in Stornoway in the Western Isles the Moon will be about 10 degrees above the horizon.
By this time the sky will be brightening as sunrise draws near, which in London happens at 0804, in Glasgow at 0846 and in Stornoway at 0912. In the three locations, the Moon sets at 0812, 0857 and 0925 respectively. Totality ends at 0854, meaning that Londoners will miss the later part of totality, Glaswegians will potentially just about see the whole total phase and residents of the Western Isles could enjoy an even better view.
In the later phases of the eclipse not visible from the UK, the Moon leaves the umbra at 1002 and the eclipse finishes when it exits the penumbra at 1106.
During the eclipse the Moon lies in front of the stars of the constellation of Taurus, although these will be increasingly hard to see in the twilight sky and will be invisible after sunrise. However, the low altitude of the Moon offers some photogenic opportunities for photographers to image the Earth’s natural satellite in eclipse next to more familiar terrestrial landmarks. And unlike an eclipse of the Sun, the whole event is quite safe to watch and needs no special equipment.
FURTHER INFORMATION
HM Nautical Almanac Office eclipse website: http://www.eclipse.org.uk
HM Nautical Almanac Office websurf calculator (includes sunrise and sunset times, lunar phases and positions of planets): http://websurf.hmnao.com/
CONTACTS
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society (based in London)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 x 214
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email:
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Steve Owens
Freelance Astronomer (based in Glasgow)
Mob: +44 (0)7879 058 120
Email:
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS, www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 24 November 2011 15:01 |
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The Council of the Royal Astronomical Society have agreed to create a new Medal to recognise oustanding teachers of astronomy. The Patrick Moore Medal is named after the broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore, one of the world's most famous contributors to public education and outreach in astronomy.
Nominations for the Medal will open in 2011, with the first award to be made at the National Astronomy Meeting in 2012. More details will follow in the new year.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 February 2011 16:03 |
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The RAS has endorsed the Science is Vital campaign, which seeks to prevent destructive levels of cuts to science funding in the UK. Alongside a petition, the campaign includes a demonstration on Saturday 9 October, a mass lobby on Tuesday 12 October and advice on raising these issues with your local MP.
 More details on Science is Vital.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 24 November 2011 15:01 |
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A UK-led international team of astronomers have presented the first conclusive evidence for a dramatic surge in star birth in a newly discovered population of massive galaxies in the early Universe. Their measurements confirm the idea that stars formed most rapidly about 11 billion years ago, or about three billion years after the Big Bang, and that the rate of star formation is much faster than was thought.
An artist's rendition of one of the newly discovered SPIRE 'hot starburst' galaxies (credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
Dr Scott Chapman, from the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, has presented the new results in a paper in a special edition of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society focusing on results from Herschel.
Scott comments "These Herschel-SPIRE measurements have revealed the new population of galaxies to be hotter than expected, due to stars forming far much more rapidly than we previously believed."
The galaxies are so distant that the light we detect from them has been travelling for more than 11 billion years. This means that we see them as they were about three billion years after the Big Bang. The key to the new results is the recent discovery of a new type of extremely luminous galaxy in the early Universe. These galaxies are very faint in visible light, as the newly-formed stars are still cocooned in the clouds of gas and dust within which they were born. This cosmic dust, which has a temperature of around -240oC, is much brighter at the longer, far infrared wavelengths observed by the Herschel satellite.
A related type of galaxy was first found in 1997 (but not well understood until 2003) using the “SCUBA” camera attached to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Hawaii, which detects radiation emitted at even longer sub-millimetre wavelengths. But these distant “sub-millimetre galaxies” were thought to only represent half the picture of star formation in the early Universe. Since SCUBA preferentially detects colder objects, it was suggested that similar galaxies with slightly warmer temperatures could exist but have gone largely unnoticed.
Dr. Chapman and others measured their distances using the Keck optical telescope on Hawaii and the Plateau de Bure sub-millimetre observatory in France, but were unable to show that they were in the throes of rapid star formation.
Herschel is the first telescope with the capability to detect these galaxies at the peak of their output, so Dr. Chapman joined forces with the “HerMES” team, led by Professor Seb Oliver of the University of Sussex and Dr Jamie Bock in Caltech who were undertaking the largest survey of galaxies with Herschel.
With the Herschel observations, focused on around 70 galaxies in the constellation of Ursa Major, the scientists acquired the missing piece of evidence to confirm that these galaxies represent a crucial episode in the build up of large galaxies around us today, such as our own Milky Way.
Team member Professor Rob Ivison from the University of Edinburgh explains the significance of the new results. "With the data we had before, we couldn't tell exactly where the infrared light from these galaxies comes from. But using SPIRE we can see that this is the signature of star formation".
The new galaxies have prodigious rates of star formation, far higher than anything seen in the present day Universe. They probably developed through violent encounters between hitherto undisturbed galaxies, after the first stars and galaxy fragments had already formed. None the less, studying these new objects gives astronomers an insight into the earliest epochs of star formation after the Big Bang.
Team colleague Dr Isaac Roseboom from the University of Sussex sums up the work. "It was amazing and surprising to see the Herschel-SPIRE observations uncover such a dramatic population of previously unseen galaxies". Professor Seb Oliver, also from Sussex, adds: “We are really blown away by the tremendous capability of Herschel to probe the distant universe. This work by Scott Chapman gives us a real handle on how the cosmos looked early in its life.”
With the new discovery, the UK-led astronomers have provided a much more accurate census of some of the most extreme galaxies in the Universe at the peak of their activity. Future observations will investigate the details of the galaxies' power source and try to establish how they will develop once their intense bursts of activity come to an end.
CONTACTS
Dr Scott Chapman
Institute of Astronomy
University of Cambridge
Tel: +44 (0)1223 330803
(In Leiden: +31 (0)71 527 5594)
Email:
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Professor Rob Ivison
Institute for Astronomy
UK Astronomy Technology Centre
Royal Observatory
Blackford Hill
Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
Tel: +44 (0)131 668 8361
Email:
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Dr Isaac G. Roseboom
Astronomy Centre
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
Tel: +44 (0)1273 873931
Email:
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Dr Chris North
UK Herschel Outreach Officer
Cardiff University
Cardiff, UK
Email:
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Tel: +44 (0)2920 870 537
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 / 4582
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email:
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IMAGES AND CAPTIONS
An artist’s impression of the heart of one of the newly-discovered galaxies and a Herschel-SPIRE image of some of the galaxies can be downloaded from http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~schapman/ofrg.html
FURTHER INFORMATION
The results appear in the paper, “Herschel-SPIRE, Far-Infrared Properties of Millimetre-Bright and -Faint Radio Galaxies”, Chapman S. C. et al, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in press.
A preprint of this paper can be downloaded from http://arxiv.org/abs/1009.3001
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Herschel
Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. Since launch on 14th May 2009, Herschel spent several months of performance verification, including observing optimisation and instrument calibration. This was followed by the Science Demonstration Phase: the period when the observatory capabilities were tested in full using snippets of the approved Key Programmes.
SPIRE
The SPIRE instrument contains an imaging photometer (camera) and an imaging spectrometer. The camera operates in three wavelength bands centred on 250, 350 and 500 μm, and so can make images of the sky simultaneously in three sub-millimetre "colours". SPIRE was designed and built by an international collaboration, led by Professor Matt Griffin of Cardiff University.
HerMES
HerMES is the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, an astronomical project to study the evolution of galaxies in the distant Universe. It is the largest project on ESA's Herschel Space Observatory. The project is carried out by a large team, made up primarily of people who built one of the instruments on Herschel called SPIRE. Hermes is also the Olympian messenger god, ruler of travellers, boundaries, weights and measures. HerMES maps large regions of the sky using cameras that are sensitive to infrared radiation. We expect to discover over 100 thousand galaxies. The light from most of these galaxies will have taken more than 10 billion years to reach us, which means we will see them as they were 3 to 4 billion years after the big bang. Since the cameras are detecting infrared radiation they see star formation that is hidden from conventional telescopes. We expect that our cameras will catch many of the galaxies at the moment they are forming most of their stars.
The Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Thursday, 16 December 2010 10:40 |
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Register for NAM 2010 at the University of Glasgow 12-16 April!
The NAM2010 web page at http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/nam2010/ lists:
• full details of the scientific and social programme
• instructions for registration and abstract submission
• travel and accommodation information.
Scientific programme:
The conference will begin at 1pm on Monday 12th April, and will end at 12.30pm on Friday 16th April. There will be a schools’ event on the afternoon of Friday 16th April, which delegates are also welcome to attend.The scientific programme consists of 14 plenary talks, and 35 parallel sessions. The full list of sessions can be found here: http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/nam2010/prog.php
Registration and abstract submission:
Delegates are invited first to register and pay for their registration (and conference dinner if required) before submitting their abstract.Payment can be by debit card (no fee) or credit card (1.75% fee) through Glasgow University’s secure online payment system, or by bank transfer (BACS). There are separate fees for students and non-students, and a 10% reduction for RAS members. You may pay for the whole week or for individual days.Upon successful registration and payment, you may submit your abstract.
NOTE: Because of the expected high number of delegates (based on previous RAS NAMs), and space/time restrictions, we can at present unfortunately accept only ONE first author/presenting author abstract per registered delegate.
Social events:
You can sign up for social events at registration. The main social event of the meeting, the conference dinner and ceilidh will take place on Wednesday 14th April, in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, home to the Fulton Orrery (1832).On the evening of Monday 12th April there will be a Civic welcome reception hosted by the City of Glasgow, in the Glasgow City Chambers on George Square, in Glasgow’s City Centre.The NAM 5-a-side cup football tournament will take place on Tuesday 13th April in the nearby Kelvin Hall Sports Arena.The programme of public events will include three evening talks, and a schools' event on Friday 16th April. There will be a display on Alexander Wilson, and the chance for delegates to view related materials from the University Library’s Special Collection.
Accommodation:
There are many small hotels and B+Bs close to the University campus, and cheaper hostel options (Eurohostel/YHA). The NAM web page lists hotels which have agreed to hold rooms for our delegates, until Saturday 27th February. Delegates are required to arrange their own accommodation, and early booking is advised!
Travel:
The conference venue is linked by bus and subway to the city centre and to the two main train stations in Glasgow: Central (West Coast Main line), and Queen Street (Edinburgh and the East Coast Main line).Transport links from the city centre to Glasgow Airport and Prestwick Airport are fast and frequent.
Contacts:
Enquiries about any aspect of the conference should be directed to
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or by telephone to Rachael McLauchlan (Conf. Secretary) at 0141 330 4152. Please help us by including in the subject area of your email enquiry one of the following:
‘registration help’
‘abstract submission help’
‘general enquiry’
Press and media:
A staffed press office will operate for the duration of the NAM and free conference registration is available to bona fide members of the media. For pre-meeting press registration and / or to receive NAM press releases please contact Robert Massey, RAS Press and Policy Officer, via
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. Further details can be found in the NAM media announcement.
We look forward to welcoming you to Glasgow!
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Last Updated on Thursday, 24 November 2011 14:59 |
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Geophysical Journal International (GJI) has announced the winners of the prizes for the best student papers this year. The awards go to:
Mr. Andrew P. Valentine for his paper, "Approaches to automated data selection for global seismic tomography", Valentine A. P. and Woodhouse J. H.
Mr. Judicael Decriem for his paper, "The 2008 May 29 earthquake doublet in SW Iceland", J. Decriem et al.
Mr. Yongxin Gao for his paper, "Seismoelectromagnetic waves radiated by a double couple source in a saturated porous medium", Gao Y. and Hu H.
Further information on the prizes and journal are on the GJI home page
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Wednesday, 15 December 2010 11:44 |
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On the evening of 13 and the morning of 14 December, skywatchers across the northern hemisphere will be looking up as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak, in one of the best night sky events of the year. And unlike many astronomical phenomena, meteors are best seen without a telescope (and are perfectly safe to watch).
An all-sky image of the 2004 Geminids meteor shower. Credit: Chris L. Peterson, Cloudbait Observatory
At its peak and in a clear, dark sky up to 100 'shooting stars' or meteors may be visible each hour. Meteors are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed, burning up and super-heating the air around them, which shines as a characteristic short-lived streak of light. In this case the debris is associated with the asteroidal object 3200 Phaethon, which many astronomers believe to be an extinct comet.
The meteors appear to originate from a 'radiant' in the constellation of Gemini, hence the name Geminid. By 0200 GMT on 14 December the radiant will be almost overhead in the UK, making it ideally placed for British observers. By that time the first quarter Moon will have set so the prospects for a good view of the shower are excellent.
Meteors in the Geminid shower are less well known, probably because the weather in December is less reliable. But those who brave the cold can be rewarded with a fine view. In comparison with other showers, Geminid meteors travel fairly slowly, at around 35 km (22 miles) per second, are bright and have a yellowish hue, making them distinct and easy to spot.
This year the peak of the Geminids meteor shower occurs at around 1100 GMT on 14 December, but the highest level activity is spread over a period lasting a day or more. This means that if conditions are clear it is worthwhile observing at any time between Sunday night and Wednesday morning.
As with most astronomical events, the best place to see meteors is at dark sites away from the light pollution of towns and cities. In good weather, rural sites such as Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park in Scotland (where a planned meteorwatch will take place on 13-14 December) are potentially excellent locations to see the Geminid shower.
The Geminids will also feature in a Twitter event supported by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) where observers under clear skies can post their text, images and videos to share them with those in less favourable locations. Anyone with Internet access can join in by following @virtualastro and the #meteorwatch hashtag on Twitter.
CONTACTS
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 x214
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email:
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Steve Owens
Dark Skies Development Officer for Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park
Mob: +44 (0)7879 058 120
Email:
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Adrian West
Twitter Meteorwatch
Mob: +44 (0)7768 208 124
Email:
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FURTHER INFORMATION
International Meteor Organisation (includes a calendar of meteor activity and information on the 2010 Geminids)
www.imo.net
Meteorwatch project (includes an article by Steve Owens on the prospects for this year's Geminid shower)
www.meteorwatch.org
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS, www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 December 2010 10:04 |
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