UFO

FINALLY....Proof of alien contact. I can't believe it! All those people who have been testifying for decades of alien encounters and we all laughed, or at least scoffed. Well, here it is, the evidence has been leaked. I wonder if they (the gov't) will finally admit that bodies were recovered from Roswell, NM.

Having an open mind in life is my mantra. I don't believe that we can possibly be the only ones in this universe. The Drake Equation is kind of a way to look at things in a greater scale.

N=R (x) fp (x) ne (x) fℓ (x) fi (x) fc (x) L

N is the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible;
and
R is the average rate of star formation in our galaxy.
fp is the fraction of those stars that have planets.
ne is the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets.
fℓ is the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point.
fi is the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life.
fc is the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space.
L is the length of time such civilizations release detectable signals into space.

Current estimates of the parameters

This section attempts to list best current estimates for the parameters of the Drake equation.
R = the rate of star creation in our galaxy
Estimated by Drake as 10/year. Latest calculations from NASA and the European Space Agency indicates that the current rate of star formation in our galaxy is about 7 per year.

fp = the fraction of those stars which have planets
Estimated by Drake as 0.5. It is now known from modern planet searches that at least 30% of sun-like stars have planets, and the true proportion may be much higher, since only planets considerably larger than Earth can be detected with current technology. Infra-red surveys of dust discs around young stars imply that 20-60% of sun-like stars may form terrestrial planets.

ne = the average number of planets (satellites may perhaps sometimes be just as good candidates) which can potentially support life per star that has planets. Estimated by Drake as 2. Marcy, et al. notes that most of the observed planets have very eccentric orbits, or orbit very close to the sun where the temperature is too high for earth-like life. However, several planetary systems that look more solar-system-like are known. These may well have smaller, as yet unseen, earth sized planets in their habitable zones. Also, the variety of solar systems that might have habitable zones is not just limited to solar-type stars and earth-sized planets - it is now believed that even tidally locked planets close to red dwarves might have habitable zones, and some of the large planets detected so far could potentially support life. Since about 200 planetary systems are known, this implies ne > 0.005. Lineweaver has also determined that about 10% of star systems in the Galaxy are hospitable to life, by having heavy elements, being far from supernovae and being stable themselves for sufficient time.

Even if planets are in the habitable zone, however, the number of planets with the right proportion of elements may be difficult to estimate. Also, the Rare Earth hypothesis, which posits that conditions for intelligent life are quite rare, has advanced a set of arguments based on the Drake equation that the number of planets or satellites that could support life is small, and quite possibly limited to Earth alone; in this case, the estimate of ne would be infinitesimal.

fl = the fraction of the above which actually go on to develop life.
Estimated by Drake as 1.
In 2002, Charles H. Lineweaver and Tamara M. Davis (at the University of New South Wales and the Australian Centre for Astrobiology) estimated fl as > 0.13 on planets that have existed for at least one billion years using a statistical argument based on the length of time life took to evolve on Earth.

fi = the fraction of the above which actually go on to develop intelligent life.
Estimated by Drake as 0.01.

fc = the fraction of the above which are willing and able to communicate.
Estimated by Drake as 0.01.

L = the expected lifetime of such a civilization for the period that it can communicate across interstellar space.
Estimated by Drake as 10,000 years. David Grinspoon has argued that once a civilization has developed it might overcome all threats to its survival. It will then last for an indefinite period of time, making the value for L potentially billions of years. If this is the case, then the galaxy has been steadily accumulating advanced civilizations since it formed.
Values based on the above estimates,

R = 7/year, fp = 0.5, ne = 2, fl = 0.33, fi = 0.01, fc = 0.01, and L = 10000 years
result in

N = 7 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 × 0.01 × 0.01 × 10000 = 2.31

According to the figure above there are 2.31 potential alien species ready to communicate in our galaxy. Earth is one planet and that leaves 1.31 other civilizations left in our galaxy. Not a very impressive number. Lets look at one more number;

The total number of galaxies in the observable universe = more than 100 billion

If you take the estimate of 2.31 civilizations per galaxy and multiplied that by just the observable number of galaxies you end up with 2,310,000,000 civilizations we could potentially communicate with. I don't think we are alone.

If you have made it this far, sorry if there is too much info for one entry but I wanted to give a rough outlook astronomers have for alien life out there. Unfortunately, the image is NOT of an alien spacecraft but it is the heat shield of the Orion crew module, upside-down for inspection.

Thank you for reading....

Obama and Science agenda

Planetary Views

(sky as seen looking east on the morning of February 22nd)

From Space.com

This month you'll have an opportunity to see all five naked-eye planets – but not all at once. Two of them are evening objects, while the other three are clustered together low in the east-southeast sky deep in the dawn twilight.

The planets move around in our sky and become brighter and dimmer over time depending on where they are in their orbits around the sun. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are never visible to the naked eye.

Here's what you can look for:

The Evening Lantern

If you ever wanted to see a planet so bright it will take your breath away, this is your week and Venus is the planet. It hangs lantern-like, high in the west as darkness falls. It's so bright now that you should have little trouble finding it even before sunset in a clean, deep blue sky – which is also a good time to look at its dramatic crescent shape in a telescope.

As dusk starts to fade, this unrivaled heavenly lamp can scarcely be missed and you won't need a map. Venus sets more than 3 hours after the sun.

Venus is now at the pinnacle of brilliancy for this current evening apparition. Viewed through a telescope in the coming weeks, its crescent grows larger but thinner as the planet approaches the Earth in the celestial scheme of things and shows us more of its night side. By month's end Venus is similar in apparent size to Jupiter – but less than one-quarter of it is lit.

Gray markings in the planet's cloud cover remain quite subtle. Look around sunset, when the sky is brighter and Venus's crescent is less dazzling than it becomes after dark. Also, watch for signs of the mysterious ashen light – a still unexplained illumination that some observers have occasionally noticed in parts of Venus's night side.

On the evening of Feb. 27 the Americas will be greeted with one of the most spectacular Venus-crescent moon conjunctions possible. The pairing will persist from before sunset into the depths of darkness. Venus will sit about 1.5-degrees above and to the right of the three-day old crescent. Be sure not to miss this!

Lord of the Rings

The next planet to look for is Saturn. This week it comes up above the eastern horizon about 90 minutes after sunset, but by the time of its opposition to the sun on March 8 it will be visible all night from dusk to dawn. Two nights later, on March 10, Saturn will ride high above the full moon.

Brightening slightly from magnitude +0.7 to +0.5, Saturn appears twice as bright as the bluish star, Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, the Lion. Shining sedately with a yellow-white hue, Saturn appears far to the lower left of that first magnitude star during the evening.

If you have a telescope magnifying at least 30-power, you'll be able to glimpse the famous ring system, which now looks like a bright line that bisects Saturn's disk. The rings open slightly to 2.3-degrees from edgewise by the end of February, but the rings will start closing again later this spring, ultimately disappearing even in big telescopes by midsummer.

A planetary trio

The other three planets visible are morning objects. Two of these are visible toward month's end but with some difficulty: Jupiter and Mercury.

Solar conjunction for Jupiter was on Jan. 24; by the final week of February it'll be on its way back into view, appearing a little higher each day. Off to its upper right will be fainter Mercury. Bring binoculars for this challenging sighting; the two planets will be very low above the east-southeastern horizon about 30-35 minutes before sunrise.

Just before sunrise on the 22nd, seek out the slender sliver of an old crescent moon, just 2-½ days before new phase, low near the east-southeast horizon. If you find it, use it as your guide to locate Mercury and Jupiter, located about 5 or 6-degrees to the moon's lower left. Binoculars will help.

Jupiter and Mercury engage in a close conjunction early on the morning of Feb. 24, with Jupiter appearing to stand almost directly above Mercury; they're separated by 0.7-degree. For comparison, the moon's apparent width is 0.5-degree. The place to look is very low in the east-southeast. Mercury shines at a respectable magnitude -0.1, but still appears only about one-sixth as bright as Jupiter's -2.0.

The only planet seemingly out of the loop in terms of visibility is Mars. Shining at magnitude +1.3 and rising deep in the glow of dawn less than an hour before sunup, it's not yet a naked-eye object for mid-northerners. Nonetheless, on the mornings of Feb. 16, 17 and 18, Mars and Jupiter will be separated by less than 1-degree. On the 17th, in fact, Jupiter will appear just 0.6-degree to the upper left of Mars. So if you can locate Jupiter, you should be able to find Mars with binoculars or a small telescope.

And with Mercury close by this makes for a planetary trio. For those Space.com readers living south of the equator, these three planets will appear a bit higher and against a somewhat darker sky; hence making them easier to see.

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/090213-ns-five-planet.html

M1

The Messier objects are a set of astronomical objects catalogued by Charles Messier in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles" ("Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters"), originally published in 1771, with the last addition (based on Messier's observations) made in 1966. Because Messier was interested in finding only comets, he created a list of non-comet objects that frustrated his hunt for them. The Messier catalogue of objects is one of the most famous lists of astronomical objects, and many Messier objects are still referenced by their Messier number.

The first edition included 45 objects, with Messier's final list totalling 103 objects. Other astronomers, using side notes in Messier's texts, eventually filled out the list to 110 objects.

The Crab Nebula or M1.

The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The nebula was first observed by John Bevis, and corresponds to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054. Located at a distance of about 6,500 light-years (2 kpc) from Earth, the nebula has a diameter of 11 ly (3.4 pc) and expands at a rate of about 1,500 kilometers per second.

At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a rotating neutron star, which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays to radio waves with a spin rate of 30.2 times per second. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.

The nebula acts as a source of radiation for studying celestial bodies that occult it. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Sun's corona was mapped from observations of the Crab's radio waves passing through it, and more recently, the thickness of the atmosphere of Saturns moon Titan was measured as it blocked out X-rays from the nebula.

Origins

First observed in 1731 by John Bevis, the Crab Nebula corresponds to the bright SN 1054 supernova that was recorded by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054. The nebula was independently rediscovered in 1758 by Charles Messier as he was observing a bright comet. Messier catalogued it as the first entry in his catalogue of comet-like objects. The Earl of Rosse observed the nebula at Birr Castle in the 1840s, and referred to the object as the Crab Nebula because a drawing he made of it looked like a crab.

In the early 20th century, the analysis of early photographs of the nebula taken several years apart revealed that it was expanding. Tracing the expansion back revealed that the nebula must have become visible on Earth about 900 years ago. Historical records revealed that a new star bright enough to be seen in the daytime had been recorded in the same part of the sky by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054. Given its great distance, the daytime "guest star" observed by the Chinese and Arabs could only have been a supernova—a massive, exploding star, having exhausted its supply of energy from nuclear fusion and collapsed in on itself.

Recent analysis of historical records have found that the supernova that created the Crab Nebula probably appeared in April or early May, rising to its maximum brightness of between apparent magnitude −7 and −4.5 (brighter than everything in the night sky except the Moon) by July. The supernova was visible to the naked eye for about two years after its first observation. Thanks to the recorded observations of Far Eastern and Middle Eastern astronomers of 1054, Crab Nebula became the first astronomical object recognized as being connected to a supernova explosion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula)

Canis Major

Canis Major is a constellation included in the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and still included among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for 'greater dog', and is commonly represented as one of the dogs following Orion the hunter (see also Canis Minor the 'lesser dog'). Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, known as the 'dog star'; that star is part of the asterism known as theWinter Triangle in the Northern Hemisphere, or the Summer Triangle in the Southern.

Mythology
In early classical Europe, Canis Major represented the dog Laelaps, a gift from Zeus to Europa; or sometimes the hound of Procis, Diana's nymph; or the one given by Aurora to Cephalus, so famed for its speed that Zeus elevated it to the sky.

It was also considered to represent Orion's hunting dog, pursuing Lepus the Hare or helping Orion fight Taurus the Bull; and is referred to in this way by Aratos, Homer and Hesiod. The ancient Greeks refer only to one dog, but by Roman times, Canis Minor appears as Orion's second dog.

Sirius was considered a dog in its own right, early Greek mythology sometimes the constellation to represent a two-headed dog. As such, together with the area of the sky that is deserted (now considered as the new and extremely faint constellations Camelopardalis and Lynx), and the other features of the area in the Zodiac sign of Gemini (i.e. the Milky Way, and the constellations Gemini, Orion, Auriga, and Canis Minor), this may be the origin of the myth of the cattle of Geryon, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Heracles.

Roman myth refers to Canis Major as Custos Europae, the dog guarding Europa but failing to prevent her abduction by Jupiter in the form of a bull; and as Janitor Lethaeus, the watchdog.


Messier 41 (also known as M 41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the Canis Major constellation. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and was perhaps known to Aristotle about 32 BC. M 41 is lying about 4 degrees nearly exactly south of Sirius and contains about 100 stars. Among these are several red giants, the brightest being spectral type K3, and located near its center. The cluster is estimated to be moving away from us at 23.3 km/s. The diameter of the cluster is between 25 and 26 light years. Its age is estimated at between 190 and 240 million years old. M 41 may also be referred to as NGC 2287.

Comet Lulin

(Taken from Space.com)
During the next few weeks, a fine comet bright enough for observation in binoculars and possibly even with the naked eye will provide a fine skywatching target when weather permits.

Comet Lulin will be closest to Earth on Feb. 24 and prime viewing will occur than and on surrounding nights. For sharp-eye viewers with dark, rural, skies, the comet is expected to be visible as a dim, fuzzy star.

People living in cities and suburbs are not expected to see the comet with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will reveal its cloudy head and perhaps a striking tail, too. Comets are unpredictable, however, so it's impossible to say how bright this one might become.

Already Lulin is a fine target for small telescopes, producing several striking photographs in the predawn sky. The object is best found using a sky map tailored to your location.

On the night of Feb. 7, for instance, Lulin will rise above the east-southeast horizon around midnight and will appear at its highest in the sky toward the south at the break of dawn. But on the night of the 24th, when it will be passing nearest to Earth, Lulin will be visible all night, rising in the east at dusk, peaking high in the south shortly after midnight and setting in the west around sunrise.

Currently located in the constellation Libra, Comet Lulin will appear to move on a northwest trajectory, crossing over into Virgo on Feb. 11 and passing 3-degrees north of the 1st-magnitude star Spica in Virgo on Feb. 16 (for comparison, your clenched fist held at arm's length measures about 10-degrees in width).

On the night of Feb. 23, now virtually at its peak brightness, the comet will be sitting just 2-degrees south-southwest of the planet Saturn, which you can use as a benchmark to locate the comet. Moreover, around this time, Comet Lulin will be racing at more than 5-degrees per day -- that's roughly the equivalent of the distance between the stars Dubhe and Merak, the "Pointer Stars" of the Big Dipper; so even a few minutes of watching with a telescope should reveal the comet's slow shift relative to background field stars.

On Feb. 27, the fading comet will slip just 1-degree south of the 1st-magnitude star, Regulus in Leo. And come the night of March 5, Lulin -- by then probably between magnitudes 6 and 7 and no longer visible without binoculars or a telescope -- will pass to within 2-degrees of the famous Beehive Star Cluster in Cancer.

Camelopardalis

Camelopardalis, from Greek καμηλοπάρδαλις,(Greeks thought that it had the head of a camel and the spots of a leopard) is a large but faint constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for giraffe. The constellation was first described by Jakob Bartsch in 1624, but was probably created earlier by Petrus Plancius. In older astronomy books, one will sometimes see an alternative spelling of the name as Camelopardus.

History
The faintness of the constellation, and that of the nearby constellation Lynx, lead to the early Greeks considering this area of the sky to be empty. Camelopardalis was not defined as a constellation until the seventeenth century and thus has no mythology associated with its stars.









NGC 2363 in Camelopardalis

Auriga

Auriga is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'charioteer' and its stars form a shape that has been associated with the pointed helmet of a charioteer. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and is included among the 88 modern constellations. Its brightest star is Capella.

Mythology
According to one Greek myth, Auriga represents Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, who was lame and invented the chariot so as to easily travel wherever he wanted.[citation needed] In another Greek myth, Auriga is said to represent Myrtilus, the charioteer of King Oenomaus, and who sabotaged the king's chariot.

Auriga might also represent the 10th Labour of Hercules. Together with the area of the sky that is deserted (now the new and extremely faint constellations Camelopardalis and Lynx), and the other features of the area in the Zodiac sign of Gemini (i.e. the Milky Way, and the constellations Gemini, Orion, and Canis Major), this may be the origin of the myth of the cattle of Geryon, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Heracles. Capella is associated with the mythological she-goat Amalthea. It forms an asterism with the stars ζ Aurigae and η Aurigae, which are known as the Haedi (the Kids).

AE Aurigae and the Nebula IC 405

Meteor Shower Dates

Meteor Showers for 2009

Name - Peak Date - Moon Phase

Quadrantids - January 3 - morning First quarter
Lyrids - Night of April 21/22 - near new Moon
Eta Aquarids - May 5 - Sets around 4 a.m.
Perseids - August 12, morning/evening - Rises around midnight
Orionids - October 21, morning - Near new Moon
Leonids - Night of November 17/18 - morning New Moon
Geminids - Night of December 13/14 - Near new Moon

January: The Quadrantids
This shower is named after a now-defunct constealltion, Quadrans Muralis, located between the constellations of Boötes and Ursa Major. Although the Quadrantids are usually impressive, this year they peak on the night of a full Moon. Consequently, this year's Quads will be mostly washed out.

April: The Lyrids
What would spring be without an April shower? The Lyrid meteor shower comes to maximum during the predawn hours of the 23rd. The waxing 6-day-old crescent Moon will be a distraction until it sets soon after 2 a.m., when the Lyrid radiant (near the Hercules-Lyra border, a few degrees southwest of Vega) will be about halfway up the eastern sky. Although the meteor count should increase as the radiant rises, expect only modest activity. Even under a relatively dark sky, an attentive observer can expect a dozen or so Lyrids per hour.

May: The Eta Aquarids
This shower consists of debris shed by Halley's Comet. It typically produces a respectable number of meteors (20 or so per hour), but this year's appearance will be compromised by the light of a waning gibbous Moon. You'll see only the brightest meteors, which will radiate from a point near the star Eta Aquarii.

August: The Perseids
This is the most popular meteor display of the year. You’ll have no interference from moonlight when the Perseids come to maximum strength around the time of new Moon on the night of August 12-13. Peak activity is will occur in the predawn hours of the 13th when the radiant is highest and upwards of 60 meteors per hour can be counted by a single observer in ideal sky conditions. Get out that reclining chair and put on the coffee — it’s always worth doing an all-nighter for the Perseids.

October: The Orionids
The Orionid meteor shower peaks on the morning of the 21st. As a 9-day-old Moon sets around 1:15 a.m. EDT, the shower’s radiant point (easily located between Betelgeuse and Mars) will be less than halfway up the eastern sky. Meteor enthusiasts watching under a clear, dark sky will see Orionid meteors streaming from the direction of the two red markers at a rate of perhaps 15 per hour.

Novbember: The Leonids
The Leonid meteor shower peaks during the pre-dawn hours of the 18th. The first-quarter Moon will not be a factor since it sets not long after the shower’s radiant point (near 2nd-magnitude Gamma Leonis) rises. A few hours later, a dozen or more Leonids per hours may be visible under a dark rural sky. This is the typical rate for the Leonids — but a far cry from the many hundreds that could be seen per hour during its extraordinary showing a few years ago.

December: The Geminids
This is one of the most reliable (if chilly) displays of the year. The best time to look is on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. Since Gemini rises at nightfall, the shower’s radiant point (near 1.6-magnitude Castor) will be above the horizon until dawn. The 4-day-old waxing crescent Moon will exit the sky by mid-evening. You can expect the Geminids to be best around 2 a.m. local time, when several dozen meteors per hour may be spotted under a clear, very dary sky.


There are more throughout the year. If you are interested, Wikipedia has an overwhelming list at this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_meteor_showers