Hamilton Amateur Astronomers November 1999 Volume 7 Issue 1 Constellation of the Month - Pegasus Margaret Walton P egasus is the famous Magnitude is 6.4. bright, elongated galaxy with a flying horse of Greek NGC7331. Spiral Galaxy. This large, bright centre bulge. Mythology. He arose from the galaxy is similar in type and size Magnitude is 10.5. body of the Medusa when it was to our own Milky Way. It is a killed by Perseus. The spring of bright, elongated galaxy of Stephan's Quintet. Cluster of Peirene gushed forth where magnitude 9.5. 5 faint galaxies ranging in Pegasus' hoof struck the rocky magnitude from 14.0 to 14.8. heights (Mt Helicon) above NGC7479. Barred Spiral They can be glimpsed in a 6" Corinth. Galaxy. Bright, large, elongated telescope as a dim, fuzzy patch. galaxy of magnitude 11.0. The hero Bellerophone rode Pegasus using a golden bridle NGC7814. Galaxy. Large, given him by Athena. He unwisely attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus. Pegasus refused and threw his rider. He was rewarded with a place among the stars. Objects to See in Pegasus M15 (NGC7078). Globular Cluster. This is one of the richest and most compact globular clusters. It is bright, large irregular and highly condensed. It can be seen through b i n o c u l a r s . The Speed of Light page 2 Ask Stella page 5 inside... Chair's Report page 3 December Sky page 9 Treasurer's Report page 4 Calendar of Events page 10 Page 2 The Speed of Light. John Lawson medium was supposed to have D an exceedingly high stiffness, yet have an exceedingly low density uring the 1700s and and viscosity. It allowed material 1800s, in the heyday of things, such as planets, to pass the development of mechanics through it with no sign of and classical science, it was resistance. known that light has a frequency EE vent Horizon is a publication of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers (HAA). associated with it. The concept Following the development in the of it as a wave superceded mid 1800s of the concept of The HAA is an amateur astronomy Newton's view of it as a stream electromagnetic fields, the club dedicated to the promotion and of corpuscles. To explain the mechanical properties of the enjoyment of astronomy for people of speed at which it travels - it had aether were replaced with all ages and experience levels been measured - scientists electrical field permittivity and envisioned a medium called "the magnetic field permeability. The The cost of the subscription is luminiferous aether". This square root of the inverse of their included in the $15 individual or $20 eventually became "the ether." product is the speed of light. family membership fee for the year. Borrowing from the study of Event Horizon is published a sound waves in fluids, this Nowadays, electromagnetic minimum of 10 times a year. effects are thought to stem from the exchange of photons. The HAA Council concept explains a lot of science Hon. Chair Jim Winger better than previous ideas. But Chair Grant Dixon what physically changes the Second Chair Stewart Attlesey exchange of photons into Secretary Marg Walton forces? In trying to find an Treasurer Barbara Wight answer - which satisfies me at Obs. Dir Bret Culver least - I asked - Why is the Editor Rosa Assalone speed of light special, regardless Membership Dir. Ev Rilett of its exact value? On what can HAJA Coord Rosa Assalone its exact value be based? Councillors Aether and all such media Ann Tekatch Bret's Observing concepts are out. They do not Steve Barnes work. So what is left? If one John McCloy Notes looks at any established system Rob Roy of units, be it mechanical or Doug Welch The next observing sessions at electrical, it is found that all units, Binbrook Conservation Area will be all physical properties, are ' Web Site on November 12, 13 and December boiled down' to three quantities, http://amateurastronomy.org/ mass, space and time. Mass is a 3, 4. Call Bret Culver at 575-9492 or Rob Roy at 692-3245 at 7pm for subject on its own. It can be directions and confirmation. The converted into energy therefore, park will be open at 8pm. For it cannot be fundamental as observers that are interested I'll be space and time (or space-time) opening the park on November 17- are. They cannot be analysed 18 at 9pm to observe the Leonids into any other simpler, more shower. The shower should peak fundamental quantities. after midnight and there is a possibility of a meteor storm. Don't In Quantum Theory, physical forget to dress warmly and bring hot processes are not smooth and refreshments. continuous at very small scale. They occur in steps or quanta, like digital electronics. There is a (Continued on page 6) Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 3 Chair's Report II membership in the happy you are with the form of suggestions, new Council and how t is now the beginning of and the cooperation I excited you are in a new HAA year, and get from those who looking forward to the with it, a new Council. This is wish to speak, is a joy new year. The final not my first time as Chair, so I to behold. one is also a joy am not entering the position because you reflect on with my eyes closed. The 3. The Chair must be how happy you have position of Chair can be a Captain of the Ship, or been with your Council wonderful job, or it can be the Simon Legree of over the past year, and stressful, depending on a the Council. The Chair on what a wonderful number of things, some of has to be the glue that year it was. which are within the control of h o l d s t h e C l u b a Chair, and some which are together and the whip The conclusion of this report is not. Thankfully, the stress that drives it forward. that, while this was a joy to level of the job as Chair of the This has never been write, watch next month to see HAA is very low. an issue. The Council me really struggle! of the HAA has always As I see it, the Chair has four been, and hopefully Grant Dixon main responsibilities. always will be, a hard Chair working and amiable dixon@netaccess.on.ca 1. The Chair is the main group of people. I am ambassador for the very happy with the club, within both the present and the membership and the previous Councils. community. I am very p r o u d o f t h i s 4. So, if all is wonderful in organization. I take the Lotus Land of the great pride in standing H A A , w h y i s n = t before you at the everyone beating a meeting every month, path to the Chairship? and in representing What=s the catch? you in the community. Where=s the beef? While I am quite Well ... to be quite sincere in my belief in frank, it=s the writing of the HAA, I must these reports! I=m not confess that I am a bit necessarily speaking of a ham in public for everyone, just performance and find it myself. It is not my quite easy to take front favourite pastime and I row centre on your have to be driven to behalf. write them. That being said, there are two that 2. T h e C h a i r = s are enjoyable to write: responsibility is to the first and the last. recruit the monthly They have a special speakers. Now, this place in the hearts of should create a lot of Chairs because they pressure, but I have are easy to write. The found in the past that first is a big-warm- the amount of help I fuzzy-feeling one, the g e t f r o m t h e one where you tell how Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 4 Cosmology Cosmology Observer's Handbook 2000 Discussion Discussion Group Group It is time to order your Observer's Handbook once again. This year, all orders will be taken in advance, so if you Mike Jefferson will present "Powers want one, be sure to get your order in of Ten - The Cosmology of Ray and before November 13. Cost is $14.00. Charles Eames." Animating the Email margw@icom.ca or sign up at the presentation will be the National Film Board vignette, "Cosmic club meetings in October or November. Zoom." Following the film will be an illustrated presentation of the Eames view of the cosmo logical realm, from the ultra-macro to the ultra micro. Plenty of room for questions, comments and discussion Observer's Calendar 2000 as our topic unfolds. Observer's calendars have been Saturday, November 27th, 1999. ordered and will be here shortly. Cost 8pm. McMaster's Burke Science is $9.00. Reserve yours by signing up Building room B148 at the meetings or email margw@icom. Free Coffee, Ginger Ale, and ca. First come, first served. Only 20 Timbits. available. Informal discussion, everyone welcome. For further information call Larry at 529-1037. Treasurer's Report Barbara Wight $1,000 Ontario Savings Bond to finance the purchase of an The financial statements for the overhead projector, and to year ended October 31, 1999 replenish our bank account. have been published in this issue of the newsletter. There is a Just a reminder that a charitable small deficit of $364 for the tax receipt will be issued for year, which is not significant membership fees. Thank you for considering our Public your continued support, and we Education program did not bring encourage any contributions you in any revenue last year. Also, may have to further the the membership fees have enjoyment of our club. remained constant throughout HAA's existence. (continued on page 7) It was necessary to cash in one Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 5 Ask Stella: Habitable Planets H H So the first rule would be that Ice is usually the closest we terrestrial planets would be can get. ey Stargazers! This more easy to inhabit than month's question Jovian planets. To live on a Saturn's moon Titan has also comes to us from an astro- Jovian world, you'd have to caught the attention of a great enthusiast in far-off Taiwan. build some kind of giant flying many people. Titan is big Michael Wu, a 7th grader at city. enough to have an atmosphere Taipei American School writes: of its own (it's the biggest moon Next you have to consider in the solar system, in fact). I would like to know what things like how hot or cold the Some speculate that there may planets and moons in our solar planet (or moon) is and even be liquid water on its system can be habitated by whether it has an atmosphere. surface. But it's difficult to tell people. I would also like to It would be more difficult to live because the atmosphere hides know what resources these on Mercury or Pluto than it the moon's surface. We will places have. would be to live on Mars, for have to wait for more space example. Both Mercury and probes or better telescopes to If people try hard enough and Pluto have extremely hot and find out more about this little have enough technology, it cold temperatures at their world. seems to me that they could surfaces and no atmospheres. live on almost any planet in our Mars, on the other hand, has But naturally our own moon solar system. But some places relatively mild temperatures would be a great starting point. would certainly be easier to and a thin atmosphere. You Even though the Moon has no colonize than others. could walk around on Mars atmosphere and low gravity, it with the help of an insulated is very, very close. It takes only The first thing that you have to pressure suit. a day or so to travel to the understand about our cosmic moon in a spaceship, instead backyard is that there are two The easiest places to inhabit of years or decades it would kinds of planets in the solar are the ones that are most like take to get to other planets. system: terrestrial or Earthlike Earth. Mars is a favorite Also, new data indicate that planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, because it is nearby, has a thin there is water on the moon, Earth, Pluto) and Jovian or gas atmosphere, and has gravity although whether there is giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and temperatures similar to the enough to be useful to humans and Neptune). The many Earth's. Venus is also nearby, is another question. But if we moons in are solar system are but has an a thick, corrosive like terrestrial planets, but atmosphere that would bake smaller still. and crush almost any satellite we sent to its surface. We'd Terrestrial planets are made up have to be pretty inventive if of rock. You could land a we wanted to live on Venus. spaceship on one and stand on its surface. Jovian planets Another favorite are the moons weigh tens to hundreds of of Jovian planets. Europa is a sent many supplies up from times as much as the Earth moon of Jupiter. It's interesting Earth, we could certainly and are made up mostly of because it's thought to have a establish a Moon base. gas. You can't stand on them. crust made entirely of water It would be like trying to stand ice. Some writers and -Stella on top of a cloud. They may scientists have envisioned have a small, rocky core, but colonists landing on Europa we don't know because we've and melting the ice to make Do you have a question that's never sent any space probes water and rocket fuel. Water is keeping you up at night? Then down that far. critical to Earth-based life, but email ask_stella@earthling.net. it's hard to find in its liquid form. Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 6 The Speed of Light (continued ...) (Continued from page 2) condition may be restated as This approach ties the speed of limit to the accuracy with which follow. light to the Uncertainty Principal we can measure physical and the basic measuring blocks q u a n t i t i e s . H e i s e n b e r g ' s There is a certain interval of of the universe. Uncertainty Principal states that space, l = Ro, which is the momentum and position are smallest interval particles can One may ask, "Why are we connected, as are energy and measure with 100% probability. limited to the sizes of l and t? time, by a quantity known as There is also a certain interval of Why are those particular values Planck's Constant. time, t, which they can measure the limits of 100% probability?" with 100% probability. These are That is a good question. The In equation form, if d- is the limit therefore the fundamental units corollary of it, "Why can't we of accuracy of measuring, of measure in the universe. Their measure down to zero interval?" (1) dP*dx is proportional to h ratio is the speed of light. is readily answered. If we could (2) dE*dt is proportional to h (8) c = l/t measure down to zero interval, P = momentum the speed of light would be x = position This does not 'explain' the value indeterminate. E = energy of c - that is obviously dependant t = time on the values of l and t. But it c = l/t = 0/0 h = Planck's Constant. does show its uniqueness. If the This would give two values. probability 'psi' of measuring (10) c = 0/1 = 0 or, Their connection can be seen by reduces linearly from 100% at (11) c = 1/0 = infinity. (3) dP is m*v = m*dx/dt intervals l and t to zero at zero (4)dE is m*v*v = m*dx*dx/dt*dt interval, then Neither of these two universes is So, (9) psi[l] = 100%*x/l practical. In the first, where c = (5) dP*dx is m*dx*dx/dt psi[t] = 100%*y/t 0, nothing moves, or it takes (6) dE*dt is m*dx*dx/dt x = a length smaller than l infinite time to move. In the These equations are similar and y = a time interval less than t second, where c = infinity, both involve dx and dt. everything moves at infinite The limit of accuracy, h, is If it can be shown that psi[l] and speed. Both regimes have some (7) h = m[e]*c*2*Pi*137.036*Ro psi[t] are always equal (ie, they interesting qualities, which can m[e] = electron mass are dependant quantities) then be explored, but neither leads to Ro = classical electron radius the probability of measuring at a mainstream practical universe Pi = 3.14159... any 'off-quantum'condition is in which we could exist. Any c = speed of light 100%*psi squared. This is in line practical universe requires that it h is not a fundamental quantity with equations (3) and (4) wherer be determinate, so quantum but can be broken down into dx and dt are both involved. It conditions are a necessity of life. more basic components as also means that below l and t, shown above. only one velocity c is probable I hope this article is of interest to because psi[l] and psi[t] cancel members. Physical quantities such as out. momentum,energy, etc.,are John Lawson determinate only for integer Above l and t, any value of l may jrlawson@cgocable.net. multiples of h,.......h, 2h, 3h... be connected with any value of t, Between those values, the so that, for any given value of probability of measuring them is space or time, an infinity of reduced. This also applies to the velocities is possible - if they are interval from 0 to h. less than c. None of them is unique. In equation (7), the factors c, 2Pi, 137.036 are all constants. M Above l and t is 100% probability [e] is not involved in quantum classical physics. Below l and t is conditions. That leaves only Ro, quantum physics of psi squared. a space dimension which is l, t and c form the boundary involved. So the quantum between the two regimes. Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 7 HAMILTON AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS BALANCE SHEET AS AT OCTOBER 31, 1999 (Unaudited) ASSETS Oct 31 Oct 31 1999 1998 Bank 532 73 Investments 3000 4000 Inventory 193 392 Prepaid Expenses 77 70 Total Current Assets 3802 4535 Fixed Assets -Equipment 1287 948 Total Assets 5089 5483 LIABILITIES Deferred Revenue 480 510 EQUITY Opening Balance 4973 5474 Current Year -364 -501 Closing Balance 4609 4973 Total Liabilities and Equity 5089 5483 Prepared by Barbara Wight, Treasurer HAMILTON AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 8 INCOME STATEMENT YEAR ENDED OCTOBER 31, 1999 (Unaudited) INCOME Oct 31 Oct 31 1999 1998 Donations -Membership Fees 1460 1395 Donations -Other 132 75 Public Education 0 486 Sweatshirt/T-Shirt sales 491 396 Observers Handbook/Calendar sales 366 282 Interest Income 140 0 Total Income 2589 2634 EXPENSES Newsletter printing 448 750 Newsletter postage 452 522 HAJA 0 73 Speakers and Meeting Expense 75 70 Public Education 0 52 Promotion 0 194 Sweatshirt/T-Shirt cost of sales 547 392 Observers H/B/Calendar cost of sales 397 288 Insurance 621 621 General Administration 243 3 Post Office Box rental 70 70 Donation Expense 100 100 Total Expenses 2953 3135 SURPLUS/DEFICIT -364 -501 Prepared by Barbara Wight, Treasurer Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 9 Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 10 Membership Renewal November 1, 1999 - October 31, 2000 Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Province: ___________________ Postal code: _________________ Phone number: (____)_______________________ E-mail: ____________________________________ Type of membership: Individual $15.00/year Family $20.00/year Voluntary Donation: $_____________ (tax receipts will be issued) Total: $_____________ Please make your cheque payable to: Hamilton Amateur Astronomers P.O. Box 65578 Dundas, Ontario Membership renewals are due November 1, 1999 CALENDAR OF EVENTS * Saturday, November 27th 8pm COSMOLOGY DISCUSSION GROUP - McMaster Burke Science Building, room B148. For more information contact Larry at 529-1037. * November 12, 13 at 8pm BINBROOK OBSERVING NIGHTS - For confirmation or directions December 3, 4 at 8pm call Rob Roy at 692-3245 or Bret Culver 575-9492 at 7pm. * Tuesday, November 16, 7pm HAJA - We will meet at McMaster University, in the Burke Science Building, room B148. For more information contact Rosa Assalone 540-8793 * Friday, December 10, 7:30pm HAA GENERAL MEETING - At the Spectator Building auditorium. Jeff Collinson will give a talk about William Herschel . Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers