Indholdsfortegnelse for No. 50 i All About Space

Discover the wonders of the universe @ ESA “We’re trying to meet as many objectives as we can to enable the science originally mapped out 30 years ago”Matt Taylor, project scientist of the Rosetta mission [page 64] Well, here we are! All About Space has reached its 50th issue and, to celebrate the occasion, we got you to vote for what you think is the best space discovery of all time. I won’t spoil the fun and announce which one of them got you hailing it as the best finding ever, I’ll leave you to find out for yourself over on page 16. Thank you for voting and taking part in our biggest-ever feature – we couldn’t have done it without you! Elsewhere in the issue, we head over to…

Cosmic distance record smashed as Hubble sees far-flung galaxy NASA’s flagship space telescope sees further than ever before, glimpsing a portion of space a mere 400 million years after the Big Bang “We’ve taken a major step back in time, beyond what we’d ever expected to be able to do with Hubble” An international group of astronomers have made astronomical history, using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to break the cosmic distance record by capturing images of the farthest galaxy ever seen. That far-flung galaxy, designated GN-z11, is located in the direction of the constellation of Ursa Major with the current images showing it as it was 13.4 billion years ago. Said shots also present it as a surprisingly bright portion of space for a galaxy at such an infantile age.…

News in Brief Mini satellites to hunt for alien worlds A team of NASA researchers are hoping to design and launch a fleet of miniature probes that will study the distant worlds catalogued by the Kepler Space Telescope. The project’s first aim would be to reveal a Jupiter-sized planet around the distant star Beta Pictoris. Super camera to scan the Kuiper Belt The Palomar Observatory near San Diego will soon have a new versatile instrument that will help astronomers study the icy Kuiper Belt found beyond the orbit of Neptune. The Caltech HIgh-speed Multi-color camERA (CHIMERA) system can also detect near-Earth asteroids and forms of exotic star. Musk unfazed by SpaceX setbacks SpaceX founder Elon Musk claims the recent failure to land the Falcon 9 reusable rocket on a robotic…

Who’s involved in the E-ELT? UNITED KINGDOM The University of Oxford and the UK Astronomy Technology Centre are contributing to the HARMONI spectrograph. FRANCE France is involved in the design of the HARMONI, MAORY and METIS instruments. SPAIN Spain has made a number of contributions to the E-ELT, including the HARMONI spectrograph. ITALY The Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica is involved in the creation of the MAORY and MICADO instruments. GERMANY Germany’s contributions to the E-ELT include the MICADO and METIS instruments. THE NETHERLANDS The Dutch NOVA has been involved in the creation of the METIS and MICADO elements of the ground-based telescope. BELGIUM Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven has been working on the METIS spectrograph instrument. SWITZERLAND Switzerland’s ETH Zürich has worked on the E-ELT’s METIS instrument. AUSTRIA The E-ELT’s MICADO…

Objectives of the E-ELT From probing primordial galaxies to tracking extrasolar planets, the E-ELT has an ambitious series of scientific goals Study the expansion of the universe “It will have multi-purposes and will make major advances in astronomy, from galaxy evolution in the early universe, through the study of black holes, to understanding how planets form outside of the Solar System,” says Colin Cunningham, director of the UK E-ELT initiative. “It will achieve this by a combination of increases in angular resolution by a factor of 15, compared to Hubble, and sensitivity of up to 500-times better than current telescopes.” Study the formation of stars in the first galaxies The huge light-gathering capabilities of the E-ELT will enable us to study just how the very first galaxies were formed and…

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY OUR EXPERTS In proud association with the National Space Centre www.spacecentre.co.uk Sophie Allan National Space Academy Education Officer • Sophie studied astrophysics at university. She has a special interest in astrobiology and planetary science. Josh Barker Education Team Presenter • Having earned a master’s in physics and astrophysics, Josh continues to pursue his interest in space at the National Space Centre. Gemma Lavender Deputy Editor • Gemma holds a master's degree in astrophysics, is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and Associate Member of the Institute of Physics Robin Hague Freelance Science Writer • Robin has a degree in physics with space technology and a master's in hybrid rocket engine design. He contributes regularly to All About Space.…

SOLAR SYSTEM Will Jupiter grow a new storm that’s visible from Earth? Darren White As a result of Jupiter’s ongoing tumultuous weather, it’s possible that more of these storms are likely to pop up in the future. The current Great Red Spot (GRS) on the gas giant is a great storm that has been raging for at least 350 years. The study of Jupiter has revealed a great many storms and vortices across its surface, though none as large as the Great Red Spot. While we see storms form and change quite regularly, we’re unsure of how this infamous feature came to originate in the first place. Though its existence proves that storms of this size can form, we’re unsure if we will see another of this size appear. The…

SOLAR SYSTEM happen Earth was twice as massive? Sharon Giles If the Earth was twice as massive, birds would be much more rare, while we humans would be much shorter and would be unable to move around as quickly as we currently do. Animals such as ants and snakes would, however, be very happy on our planet if it were twice the size. It’s also likely that Earth would have lost its heat much more slowly in its earlier history. The atmosphere would be denser, meaning that everything would be heavier and life forms would require much more energy to move around. According to Scott Kenyon, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, if the Earth were twice as massive our buildings would be less majestic and the feat of rocket…

SPACE EXPLORATION What would NASA do if an astronaut floated off into space? Hannah Binns @ NASA; ALAMY A massive mission would have to be deployed in order to rescue an astronaut that had floated off into space. On a spacewalk, it’s usually common practice for astronauts to work in pairs, each wearing a special safety tether that allows them to stay attached to the International Space Station (ISS). They also have a series of handrails to cling on to. If they somehow became detached from the space station, astronauts are prepared with a Simplified Aid For Extravehicular Activity Rescue, or SAFER, which provides them with small jet thrusters to allow them to move around in space and manoeuvre their way back to the safety of the ISS. If all…

Me & My Telescope Send your astrophotography images to photos@spaceanswers.com for a chance to see them featured in All About Space Tanja Schmitz Johannesburg, South Africa Telescope: Officina Stellare Hiper APO & Orion 8” Astrograph “I am based in the Southern Hemisphere, which gives me access to some of the exquisite targets and dark skies. Although I do have to travel far to access them, my husband – who is also an astrophotographer – and myself are able to observe and image under skies untouched by light pollution. I have been imaging the night sky for over three years and, although it’s a tough balancing act between daytime life and pursuing the hobby at night, it’s well worth the time I spend capturing the night sky.” Terry Hancock Michigan, USA…

Contributors Colin Stuart • Recently, notorious ‘Pluto killer’ Mike Brown and his colleagues announced the possibility of a ninth planet in our Solar System. Colin finds out how much closer we are to finding it. Giles Sparrow • It may be nearing the end of its mission, but Rosetta still has a lot to tell us about comets and the forming of the Solar System, as Giles finds out from project scientist Matt Taylor. Dominic Reseigh-Lincoln • In 2025, the biggest telescope in the world will begin its observations of the universe. Dominic catches up with the ESO astronomers to get the details of the E-ELT. Ninian Boyle • Take Ninian’s astronomy tutorials this month – you’ll be mastering setting circles and getting the best views of ‘elusive’ Mercury in…

50 GREATEST DISCOVERIES OF ALL TIME GRAVITATIONAL WAVES SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES EXOPLANETS WHY STARS EXPLODE WATER ON PLUTO The most astounding advances in space science as chosen by you The votes are in and counted and now All About Space presents the greatest astronomical discoveries of all time, as chosen by our readers. Some of the greatest moments in space science have come as humans have gazed up to the heavens, sent spacecraft to explore other worlds, and marvelled at how nature has developed this wonderfully complex cosmos that we live in. Science is also a cumulative process, where one discovery leads to another and so on, and astronomy is no different. The discovery that there are galaxies beyond the Milky Way led to the discovery of the expansion of…

Building a gigantic telescope From its giant mirrors to its state-of-the-art instruments, the E-ELT is set to be a marvel of modern engineering Secondary mirror At 4.2m (13.8ft) in diameter, the secondary mirror is designed to support the light gathering power of the main mirror. It will reflect light towards the third mirror in the process. A little shorter than a family-sized car Laser Guide Stars In order to light up parts of the sky that may be too dark to study in their natural form, the E-ELT will have an in-built laser guide system to help pinpoint and illuminate areas of observation. Primary mirror The 39.3m (129ft) diameter primary mirror is made up of individual hexagonal segments and collects light from sky. It reflects all of that light back…

SPACE EXPLORATION Would an astronaut explode if they didn’t wear a spacesuit? Hannah Phillips No, they wouldn’t explode. Our bodies are adapted to exist under the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere and when this is removed, water in the tissue starts to evaporate and the body starts to swell. Our skin is quite stretchy, meaning that an explosion is highly unlikely. After about ten seconds of exposure, an astronaut is likely to become unconscious. This happened to an unfortunate spacesuit technician during a NASA test in 1966 after some of the equipment failed, but thankfully the pressure was restored after just 30 seconds and the individual made a full recovery. GL Make contact: @spaceanswers /AllAboutSpaceMagazine questions@spaceanswers.com…

SOLAR SYSTEM Why does the Sun appear yellow? Gene Harlow It’s really an illusion. Although you should never look at the Sun, a brief glance on a sunny day will tell you that it has a yellowish hue, while an orange-red colouration appears as it dips below the horizon in the evening. The Sun actually produces all wavelengths of visible light – therefore its true colour is white but as sunlight travels through the atmosphere, it changes. The wavelengths of light at the blue end of the spectrum are much shorter than those at the red, so collisions with particles in the air are more likely. During the day, blue light scatters high in the atmosphere, creating the blue sky and making the Sun appear yellow. In the morning and…

DEEP SPACE Do stars actually twinkle in space? Iona Marriot No they don’t twinkle. Although stars appear to ‘sparkle’ in the night sky, the flickering that we see here on Earth is actually just an illusion. It might seem plausible that a star would twinkle as it shines but, at this distance, the light that we see from them is actually very steady and constant. As light travels toward the Earth, it passes through the gas molecules that make up our atmosphere. These are not static and they swirl about as turbulence stirs the atmosphere. This swirling deflects some of the light, making it look like the light is shifting and twinkling in the sky. This is known as stellar scintillation (or astronomical scintillation). The thicker the atmosphere is that…

SPACE EXPLORATION How far have our messages to space travelled? As well as listening for signs of alien civilisations, we have tried sending a few direct messages to likely stars, but how far have they got? Anica Cooper © Getty Images; NASA; ESA We continue to listen out for alien civilisations, but a few projects have tried sending specific messages in the hope of attracting communication. As a technological civilisation, we’ve been sending inadvertent radio noise into space for over 100 years, but to communicate across the stars, radio signals need to be specifically focused and not random. The first calling card to the stars was the Arecibo Message in 1974, sent towards a globular cluster of stars 25,000 light years away. It was designed by the Search For Extraterrestrial…

Master setting circles Those dials on your equatorial telescope mount have a useful purpose. Here’s how to make them work for you You’ll need: • Equatorial mount with setting circles • Polar alignment scope (optional) • Telescope tube • Star chart The mysterious dials that can be found on equatorial mounts are there for a purpose; to help you track down objects in the night sky. They can be confusing at first, but once you understand how to use them, they are quite straight forward, providing that you know how to set them up for a night’s viewing. In order to use them effectively, you’ll need to have a reasonably good polar alignment of your mount – the polar axis of your mount needs to be pointing directly at the…

This month’s naked eye targets Spring skies are bursting with targets for those armed with binoculars or just the naked eye Mizar and Alcor The second star in from the end of the handle of the Plough is, in fact, a double star. Good eyesight will be able to see both stars. The Plough A familiar figure to many, the seven bright stars of the Plough are in fact just part of the bigger constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Pointers The two stars in the bowl of the Plough, or Dipper, opposite the handle are called the ‘pointers’ because they point towards the Pole Star. Polaris The Pole Star is, by chance, almost directly above the Earth’s North Pole and therefore hardly seems to move as the…

IBEX ribbon could hold the map to the cosmos New study takes a closer look at the magnetic fields that surround and permeate our Solar System Using data taken from NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), a new study has shed new light on the mysterious IBEX ribbon – a thin slash of space at the edge of our Solar System where molecules stream in from outside space at a faster rate than anywhere else in our heliosphere. The research led by Eric Zirnstein – a space scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas – suggests this celestial phenomenon could provide a greater insight into the machinations of the universe and serve as a roadmap of sorts to the cosmos beyond. Zirnstein has theorised that the particles streaming…

Rosetta: the final chapter The first mission to land a probe on a comet is coming to an end. Project scientist Matt Taylor relives an epic moment in history and tells us what we can expect from Rosetta in its last week in operation Interviewed by Giles Sparrow “The plan for the final week of Rosetta is still not certain, but the end certainly is – what’s the best way to end the mission to get the best science?” INTERVIEW BIO Dr Matt Taylor Matt Taylor is the project scientist of the Rosetta mission and is currently based at the European Space Agency in Leiden, The Netherlands. He was previously the project scientist of the Cluster mission, which studied the Earth’s magnetosphere during an entire solar cycle. He obtained a…

DEEP SPACE Would we notice if the universe stopped expanding? Steven Bennett Expanding universe Since the cosmos is moving further and further away from us, the universe appears dark rather than bright, as the stars and galaxies are not static. Light from stars and galaxies Light intensity decreases with distance, which means that the amount of light we see is quite limited as the universe keeps expanding. Yes – we would notice because the night sky would be a lot brighter, since the objects within it wouldn’t be moving away from us. It was in 1823 that astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers also wondered what would happen if the universe was infinite and static. He came to the conclusion that the night sky would be brighter because the light from an…

ASTRONOMY Can I go travelling with my scope? Ryan Billings Yes, but it all depends on what size telescope you have. Travelling with a good telescope can be tricky, since a bigger telescope is also considered to be better. However, careful small purchases can give you the chance to do some observing on the road. When people get into astronomy, they quickly learn that size can mean a great deal when it comes to what you can see in the night sky – but even small scopes can perform remarkably well, making it easy to travel with good equipment. Small telescopes with apertures of three to five inches should still give you good views of Saturn’s rings, Venus’ phases, Jupiter’s cloud decks and moons, and even the Andromeda Galaxy. Another…

ASTRONOMY How close is the Earth to the Sun in the summer? December In December the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun. Days are shorter and the light strikes the atmosphere at an angle, spreading out as it reaches the ground. June In June the Northern Hemisphere receives direct sunlight and the days are longer, concentrating the energy and raising the temperature. Axial tilt The axis of the Earth always points in the same direction, so as the year goes by, different parts of the Earth end up facing toward the Sun at different times. March and September In spring and autumn, the axis of the Earth is lined up parallel to the Sun and the light strikes the Northern and Southern hemispheres equally. The length of a day…

Master setting circles Setting up your equatorial mount Use your setting circles to locate a variety of night-sky objects It can take a little time to get used to using setting circles, but the more you use them the easier you’ll find it. Remember not to unlock the clutches of your mount to move the telescope once the circles are set up, as you’ll lose accuracy. Always slew the mount using the slow motion controls or electric drives. It may be slower, but it’s worth it. If you don’t succeed the first time in finding an object, gently move the telescope around the area of sky until you find it, and then tweak the circles to the correct coordinates. 1 Polar align your mount First of all you’ll need to…

WORTH OVER £1100! WIN A SET OF TELESCOPES! Courtesy of Meade Instruments Ltd and Hama UK Ltd, we’ve got four telescopes to give away Meade Series 4000 1.25” eyepiece and filter set Cost: £200 Designed to compliment any type of telescope, the Meade Series 4000 offers a wide range of focal lengths thanks to 6.4mm, 9.7mm, 12.4mm, 15mm, 32mm and 40mm Super Plössl multi-coated eyepieces that deliver wide 52-degree apparent fields of view. Also includes a 2x Barlow lens and filters. Meade Polaris 130 EQ MD Cost: £250 With everything you need to view the wonders of the night sky, the Meade Polaris’ 5.1” aperture delivers bright and detailed images, perfect for viewing a variety of targets. It also features a stable equatorial mount with slow motion controls for easy…