First viewing (1 hour, supervised, 9/30/09)
Observed Jupiter and four of its moons as well as cloud bands.
The moons were far enough away from the planet that they were clearly visible.
Arcturus was briefly visible in the lower part of the south-western sky.
Saw the summer triangle and the stars it contains (Vega, Deneb, Altair).
We then managed to see cloud cover over Seista Key.
Second Viewing (1 hour, supervised, 10/14/09, Seista Key)
We started out with binoculars, first looking at Jupiter, just barely making out the moons.
We then saw the summer triangle, as well as Cepheus, Casseopia, Ursa Minor and Polaris, and a globular cluster near Perseus.
When observing Jupiter, we were able to witness the moon Europa's shadow cross the planet, though the moon did not make a transit.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Astronomer Biography.
John Flamsteed was born in Denby Scotland on August 19th, 1646 into a wealthy family. He did not attend a university due to health problems, but instead he studied on his own. His father disliked this, saying it was because he felt that John was too ill to study, but it was more than likely because he was more useful around the house when he wasn’t studying after his mother died.
During the summer of 1662, he observed his first partial solar eclipse, and early the next year he developed an interest in sun-dials. In 1665, he published his first paper on astronomy which was mainly about quadrants and measurement systems. In 1670, he managed to enroll in Cambridge, but never obtained residency. During his time at the school he went to several lectures by Isaac Newton.
After his time in Cambridge, he visited London where he was given the title “Astronomer Royal,” and later created the first Royal Observatory in Greenwich. It was during this time that he made many of his important discoveries. He was the first person to create conical projections, which are still used today in cartography. During this period, he was entrenched in a bitter rivalry with Edmond Halley and Isaac Newton. The reason for this in still unclear, but most likely delved from scientific disagreements. The rivalry was one that would be unprecedented in the modern scientific community, as Flamsteed withheld publication of data regarding the orbits of the moon and other celestial objects for the sole reason that Newton and Halley needed them for their own work. He went so far as to burn 300 of 400 copies of his observations published by the Prince of Denmark and edited by Halley, purely out of spite for the man who would later become the second Astronomer Royal.
Along with his general contributions to science, he also made numerous discoveries. 3 Cassiopeiae, the label he gave to what he assumed to be a Nebula, turned out to be, Cassiopeiae A one of the most resent supernova to be visible from Earth. He was also the first person to discover Uranus, although he didn’t realize it was a planet and named it 34 Tauri.
The work he is most famous for, however, is his star catalog, Historia Coelestis Britannica. This book contained some of the most accurate observations on stars that had been published up to that point, although his rivalry with Halley prevented him from publishing it until 1725. His legacy includes having his name on thousands of stars, including the brightest star in every constellation, a crater on the moon, and an asteroid, as well as several objects considerably closer to Earth, such as some schools in Derbyshire.
During the summer of 1662, he observed his first partial solar eclipse, and early the next year he developed an interest in sun-dials. In 1665, he published his first paper on astronomy which was mainly about quadrants and measurement systems. In 1670, he managed to enroll in Cambridge, but never obtained residency. During his time at the school he went to several lectures by Isaac Newton.
After his time in Cambridge, he visited London where he was given the title “Astronomer Royal,” and later created the first Royal Observatory in Greenwich. It was during this time that he made many of his important discoveries. He was the first person to create conical projections, which are still used today in cartography. During this period, he was entrenched in a bitter rivalry with Edmond Halley and Isaac Newton. The reason for this in still unclear, but most likely delved from scientific disagreements. The rivalry was one that would be unprecedented in the modern scientific community, as Flamsteed withheld publication of data regarding the orbits of the moon and other celestial objects for the sole reason that Newton and Halley needed them for their own work. He went so far as to burn 300 of 400 copies of his observations published by the Prince of Denmark and edited by Halley, purely out of spite for the man who would later become the second Astronomer Royal.
Along with his general contributions to science, he also made numerous discoveries. 3 Cassiopeiae, the label he gave to what he assumed to be a Nebula, turned out to be, Cassiopeiae A one of the most resent supernova to be visible from Earth. He was also the first person to discover Uranus, although he didn’t realize it was a planet and named it 34 Tauri.
The work he is most famous for, however, is his star catalog, Historia Coelestis Britannica. This book contained some of the most accurate observations on stars that had been published up to that point, although his rivalry with Halley prevented him from publishing it until 1725. His legacy includes having his name on thousands of stars, including the brightest star in every constellation, a crater on the moon, and an asteroid, as well as several objects considerably closer to Earth, such as some schools in Derbyshire.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sources For Flamsteed
Frommert, Hartmut. "John Flamsteed (August 19, 1646 - December 31, 1719)." Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Web. 2 Oct. 2009.
"John Flamsteed." Classic Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britanica, 6 Sept. 2006. Web. 2 Oct. 2009..
O'Connor, J. J. "Flamsteed biography." The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland, Apr. 1997. Web. 2 Oct. 2009.
Plait, Philip C. Bad astronomy misconceptions and misuses revealed, from astrology to the moon landing 'hoax' New York: Wiley, 2002. Print.
"John Flamsteed." Classic Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britanica, 6 Sept. 2006. Web. 2 Oct. 2009.
O'Connor, J. J. "Flamsteed biography." The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland, Apr. 1997. Web. 2 Oct. 2009.
Plait, Philip C. Bad astronomy misconceptions and misuses revealed, from astrology to the moon landing 'hoax' New York: Wiley, 2002. Print.
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