The Aurora Borealis, Part II

Please see also The Aurora Borealis.

It seems that NASA has discovered the key to the beautiful displays of the Northern Lights. Using their five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites, NASA has found that the lights seem to be a product of a process now known as "magnetic reconnection". The source of this magnetic reconnection is believed to be powerful "storms" in the Earth's magnetic field, approximately a third of the way to the Moon.

If this sounds a little far-fetched to you, think of it this way: The combined forces of solar winds and disturbances in the Earth's magnetic fields warp the shape of our magnetic field. Like many things, the Earth's magnetic field wants to resist movement. So the strength of the magnetic field will momentarily overcome the disturbance and the Earth's magnetic field will snap back into place. This is very much like if you were to stretch a rubber band between your fingers and pull it back. Then release it, and it will snap back. When the magnetic field snaps back, it causes a great release of charged particles into the upper atmosphere, where they form the Aurora Borealis.

The THEMIS system is comprised not only of the five satellites, but also several ground stations equipped with cameras and magnetometers. Data from both systems is combined to confirm the findings. A test run on February 6, 2008 showed definitively that the magnetic storms cause magnetic reconnection and auroras. This test correlated magnetic storm data from the five satellites with visual and magnetic evidence of auroras taken from the ground stations. Now we know exactly why these beautiful displays of light and movement occur.

Clear skies!

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Carnival of Space # 64

Carnival of Space # 64 is ready at Music of the Spheres.

Enjoy!

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Astronomy Software

Sometimes in amateur astronomy, a computer and appropriate software can be a very helpful thing. Take for example the following case, which is very similar to my own situation right now. You haven't observed in weeks, due to being busy at work (and having no vacation days left), and you finally get a chance to go out to the telescope. Once you've got your fancy 'scope all set up, you realize the sky has changed drastically since last time you observed. A session planning software would make a great addition to your gear at this point. Maybe you're new to the hobby, or just fooling around in some spare time. Astronomy software can also help teach new observers about the most interesting night sky objects and how to find them. In the following article, we'll take a look at some commercial and shareware programs that can help you out when you're at the 'scope.

The software I personally use the most is called Stellarium. Stellarium is an open-source, cross-platform software. This means it is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. This is also the reason I use Stellarium quite a bit. I run Linux on all of my own computers, so it is a major plus for me. Stellarium is good at projecting a lifelike sky on your computer screen. The constellations and objects are labeled, and there are many display options. It will also simulate eclipses, and there is a meteors option. Some planetariums even use Stellarium to render their shows. Displaying the sky is one of the few features of Stellarium, however. There are some scripts available for it that provide new features, but some of the features of commercial software are missing.

If you want some of the nicer features, however, you're going to want to invest in some commercial astronomy software. Such a software is a great investment in your hobby, as it will make your observing sessions more organized. You may even learn some new stuff! Starry Night is a program that works somewhat like Stellarium, but includes many more useful features. Starry Night is available in several different versions, ranging from beginner to expert. Starry Night Enthusiast Version allows users to explore a 3-D model of the entire universe, and zoom in on planets, stars, nebulae, and other objects. It even allows you to track space probes as they roam through space. Starry Night Pro Version adds the ability to plan viewing sessions. It also will allow tracking of artificial satellites (such as the space station) using any computerized telescope mount and an adapter. Now that is cool... For those of you into astrophotography, they also offer an AstroPhoto Suite that can organize and improve your imaging sessions. Starry Night software is currently on sale, so check it out while it lasts!

Also worth mentioning is a list of open source and free programs at Midnight Kite. On this page, there are many, many programs, each of which is specialized in doing one calculation or another. This page is definitely worth checking out. If you need a program or script for your observatory, its probably there. Sky and Telescope also offer some free programs, such as Mars Previewer II, Binoplan, Cool, Flex, and Sec. All of these programs perform specific tasks and are available here. I have personlly found the Mars Previewer II to be very useful in determining if you really did see that feature on the red planet's surface.

I hope this article has been of some help to you in organizing and improving your sessions with the help of computer software. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Therefore, expect more software articles as I discover new pieces of software that can help you get more out of your observing time.

Clear skies!

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CN Article - The Astronomer Looks at 55

Cloudy Nights' writer Rod Molise published an article on 7/22 called "The Astronomer Looks at 55". This article is a reminiscent look back on how things used to be and where they might be headed.

So head on over to Cloudy Nights and check out his article! Its a good one for sure!

The Astronomer Looks at 55

Clear skies!

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