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FOAP Newsletter December 2024 |
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FOAP President Theresa Schweser wraps up 2024 with special member event dates, news about our fundraising goals, and annual highlights. Read more... |
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Friday, December 13
6:00-9:00PM
at the Planetarium |
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Save the Date
for our Annual Holiday Member Appreciation Night!
Details coming soon on how to reserve seats for free holiday shows.
Weather permitting enjoy telescope viewing, music, and special treats! |
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David M Brown Public Planetarium Shows for December!
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The Friends of the Arlington Planetarium (FOAP) will be hosting full dome planetarium shows about The Science of Astronomy in the universe on December 14 (6:30 and 8:00pm) and 15 (1:30 and 3:00pm). Show details and an advance ticket sales notice will be released to members next week. |
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What is Astronomy? By Kayla Sovereign Astronomy is all about studying the sky and space. Taking a closer look at stars, planets, the moon, and the sun. There are constantly new discoveries that help us understand more about our universe!Fun fact: Did you know that Galileo Galilei, one of the most famous astronomers, was the first to use a telescope to study the stars and planets? |
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His observations helped change our understanding of the universe!
In December, the night sky is full of cool stuff! You can see Orion, a group of stars that looks like a hunter with a belt. There's also the Pleiades, a little bunch of stars that look like a tiny dipper. Sometimes, you can see shooting stars from the Geminid meteor shower. If you are lucky, you might spot bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn. It's a great time to look up at the stars!
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Jokes for Kids Only!
Q: What does a star win in a competition? A: A constellation prize
Q: What come from another world and are really slow?
A: Snailiens!
Q: Why don’t aliens visit our solar system?
A: Because they read the reviews and saw we only have one star!
Q: What did Mars say to Saturn?
A: Give me a ring sometime!
Q: How does the Man in the Moon cut his hair?
A: Eclipse it.
Q: Why couldn’t the astronaut book a room on the moon?
A: Because it was full. |
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What's in the Sky this Month? By Mike Rhee |
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Even for casual observers, stars of the winter night sky seem brighter and more numerous compared to other seasons. In December we start to get a good look at the brilliant stars that make up the famous winter constellations in the northern hemisphere. Read More |
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What’s in a Name?
By Jennifer Bartlett
That which we call science by any other word would be a true. Most sciences are known as an -ology: biology, the study of living things; geology, the study of the Earth and its structure; hydrology, the study of water and water systems; and ecology, the study of ecosystems. A professional astronomer is likely to shudder if you misspeak and refer to her as an astrologer. Today, we carefully distinguish between astronomy, the science of celestial bodies from the individual atoms of interstellar space to the large-scale structure of the universe itself, and astrology, the pseudoscientific belief that stars and planets directly affect human affairs. The terms astronomy and astrology both ultimately derive from Greek with astro- indicating star or constellation, -onomy referring to distribution, arrangement, or management, and -ology from logos meaning word, discourse, thought or proportion. Astronomy first appears in English before 1300 CE with the sense of celestial navigation. Between 1300 and 1400 CE, English writers begin also using astrology with the sense of being a practical application of astronomy, i.e. natural astrology, or the sense of being a divinatory or advisory tool, i.e. judicial astrology. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) both codified the “laws” of planetary motion and cast horoscopes. By 1700, our modern distinction between astronomy and astrology was largely established. |
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Catching a New Wave By Jennifer Bartlett
The earliest astronomers watched the sky. They charted the positions (astrometry) and estimated the brightnesses (photometry) of stars. For thousands of years, humans interpreted starlight to understand what lies beyond our atmosphere. In the 1800s, physicists established the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites. Space rocks continue to reveal information about other Solar System bodies. Then, in the 1960s, scientists detected neutrinos produced in upper atmospheric collisions and in stellar nuclear reactions. These subatomic particles offer experts insights into high-energy processes, such as supernovae.
Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity predicts that matter distorts spacetime. His theory successfully predicted the bending of starlight during eclipses. In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) recorded ripples in spacetime from the merger of two black holes, GW150914. Now, LIGO in the US, Virgo in Italy, and Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) in Japan are opening a new spectrum of observational possibilities. Gravitational waves tell researchers about massive objects, such as black holes and neutron stars, and cataclysmic events, such as kilanovae resulting from their mergers. Studying these interactions will improve our understanding of spacetime and gravity. In the next 20 years, more sensitive instruments may detect powerful phenomena in the early universe and probe the ultradense matter in neutron stars.
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Brave the Cold, See the Planets By Jennifer Bartlett
Sometimes you don’t want to think about the physics of it all, you just want to enjoy the beauty of the night sky. If so, you may be able to see all five naked-eye planets this month. Mercury is the most challenging. Look for it on December 22 when it will be highest in the sky. It will still be low on the eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise at 7:14 AM. Venus is the evening star, the brightest natural object in the night sky. Look for it throughout the month towards the southwest just after sunset. Next in brightness is Jupiter, which rises near sunset in the northeast. Look for it in the constellation Taurus the Bull. On December 7, Jupiter reaches its point opposite the Sun so this will be its closest and brightest time for the year. Although brighter than the surrounding stars, Saturn will not be as bright as Venue or Jupiter. Look for it towards the south after sunset. Look for Mars to rise around 9 PM in the northeast. Its distinctive red coloring should stand out. Over the course of the month, it will also grow brighter, doubling by the end of the year.
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Infrared Eyes on the Universe (Arlington 55+) By Jennifer Bartlett
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing astronomy with new images collected using infrared light. Dr. Jennifer Lynn Bartlett, former president of the Friends, will give a free talk to the Arlington 55+ program at 11 AM on Monday, December 16 at the Langston Brown Community Center. She will discuss what the latest images from JWST are showing us about the universe. Registration is recommended. |
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Straight from the International Space Station |
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Photo by NASA Astronaut on the ISS Starship launch as seen from the ISS |
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Photo by NASA Astronaut on the ISS Infrared picture of ISS Crew 9 |
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Photo by NASA Astronaut on the ISS Tentacles assembled to grab space junk in the future |
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Photo by Astronaut on the ISS
View outside the ISS of the Canadian arm with a hand called SPDM – special purpose dexterous manipulator
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This message has been sent to you from the Friends of Arlington's Planetarium.
Friends of Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium
P.O. Box 7029
Arlington, VA 22207 USA
Copyright (C) 2024 Friends of Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium (FOAP). All rights reserved.
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