The NAS Eclipse Chasers

Next NAS Meeting

Friday 2nd November 2012

“NAS Eclipse Chasers”

( Come and learn how the real Eclipse Chasers take their images of the eclipse.)

Warning never look directly at the Sun

University of Newcastle GP2.1

7.30pm-9pm

Viewing night at St Phillips Christian College Salamanda Bay

The NAS was invited by the St Phillips Christian College to an astronomy viewing last Thursday night, members that attended were NAS president David Hough, his son Brad, Brad Le Brocque, Petro Holowinskyj and yours truly.

The weather wasn’t looking too crash hot, though it cleared up a lot there was still a thin layer of cloud around which made viewing difficult. NAS members made good with what they were given and the new Moon was viewed through a variety of telescopes (got plenty of WOW’s). NAS president David Hough did an astronomy talk in the hall for the students which by all accounts was a huge success. Members were asked a lot of questions by students while viewing and discussions on “Moon distance” and “why is there a shadow on the Moon?” could be heard….

We were fed and watered and it was simply an enjoyable evening doing what we amateur astronomers love to do -view the night sky:)

Discovery! Earth-Size Alien Planet at Alpha Centauri Is Closest Ever Seen

http://www.space.com/18089-earth-size-alien-planet-alpha-centauri.html

 

The star system closest to our own sun hosts a planet with roughly Earth’s mass and may harbor other alien worlds as well, a new study reports.

Astronomers detected the alien planet around the sunlike star Alpha Centauri B, which is part of a three-star system just 4.3 light-years away from us. The newfound world is about as massive as Earth, but it’s no Earth twin; its heat-blasted surface may be covered with molten rock, researchers said.

The mere existence of the planet, known as Alpha Centauri Bb, suggests that undiscovered worlds may lurk farther away from its star — perhaps in the habitable zone, that just-right range of distances where liquid water can exist.