NJC Astronomy Club

NJC Astronomy Club EXCO 2011

2011-05-21T22:51:00.002+08:00

Dear Astronomers,

Congratulations to the newly elected EXCO members. I wish you the very best as you take your place in the NJC Astronomy Executive Committee.

Congratulations to the following:

Vice-presidents : Jesslyn and Peng Le
Secretary: Shuo Yu
Treasurer: Hong Shuo
Quarter masters: Qianpin and Sheng Mu
Research officer: Hui Ning

I wish the new NJC Astro EXCO all the best. Hope you contribute to the club and enjoy your time here at the same time =)
Each person's goals are different, and what comes easy to one may be difficult for another. When it comes to Astro, I hope that you have a common goal for the club, work as a team and do not break into pieces when difficulties threaten you...

Lastly, I express my sincere thanks to Ms Yeo, Mr Sim, Cao Li, Hui Ning, Lam, Sheng Mu, Weide, Yusheng and all Astro members for such a memorable and enriching experience. It was an inspiring journey =)

NJC Astro - Because we ain't afraid of the dark

Regards,
Sivam

Astro conference

2010-07-29T20:38:00.003+08:00

Dear Astro members,

Much awaited Astro Conference is almost here! So here is a reminder =)

Okies firstly, please meet at 8 45am in Woodlands MRT station. We will meet

each other there and leave as a club =)

Secondly, there is NO SESSION tmr. Since everyone is going to be busy

on Saturday, tmr's day off is to rest and prepare =)

Next, please bring your uniform (full grey) for the forum, from

5 to 7pm. This is very important as we would not want to be dressed

inappropriately when the Minister is there. You can come in any school

t-shirt and pants or skirts in the morning and change before the forum.

Last but not least, EVERYONE has to SIGN IN and SIGN OUT so that correct

number of CIP hours can be awarded. In Woodlands CC, the registration booth

will be in the first floor. Please proceed to the booth to sign in and get your lanyard

and event t-shirt. Before leaving, please don't forget to sign out and return your lanyard.

That's all for now. Hope everyone is excited =)

Cheers,

Sivam

Because we ain't afraid of the dark =)

Astro conference

2010-06-21T22:35:00.002+08:00

Hey peeps,

We were invited to attend the Astronomy conference.

Please check your email for more information.

Hope to see you there =)

Regards

NJC Astro Club

- Because we ain't afraid of the dark -

MP Astro Brownie Workshop cum Partial eclipse observation!

2010-06-16T11:06:00.003+08:00

Hey ppl, MP Astro is inviting us to their Astro Brownie workshop cum partial eclipse observation.

Information about the event:
Date: 26th June 2010
Time: 6pm- 9pm
Venue: The dream kitchen, Marine Parade CC level 3
Age group: 8- 12 year olds

Itinerary: Registration, step by step guidance of baking of brownies, stargazing at rooftop

Some points to take note:

- you are advised to bring your aprons. It might get messy.

- No vulgarities allowed at the event.

- All helpers are encouraged to come in the afternoon to help out. Exact timing to be confirmed.

- CIP hours given out: 5 hours or more.

If you are interested, please send your name, contact number and NRIC number to Weide before 18th June. Thanks ppl =)

Regards

Sivam

- Because we ain't afraid of the dark -

Meeting with AGAstro @ AGCC

2010-06-09T22:18:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone. This is the meeting minutes on the meeting at AGCC on 8/6/2010 with regards to the upcoming Astro Conference.

Astronomy Conference (something like a day packed with lively activities)

Date: 31/07/2010

Time: 10am to 10pm

Lunch will be provided only for the helpers. One may prepare question that concerns astro, or the sciences in general, or both. It's a free-and-easy conference and the public can choose their activities.

Ok, now we shall focus on the more recent activities which would be happening very soon, just after the J1's CT1.

Activity: Sidewalk Astronomy Sessions @ MRT Stations along the N-S Line (Choo-Choo Trains! :D)

NJAstro had chosen 3 dates during the meeting, and we need volunteers to help out on each day of the events. The details are below:

Available Dates/Times/Location/School-in-Charge:

I. 07 July, Wednesday 8:00pm – 9:30pm Admiralty MRT - NJC

II. 09 July, Friday 7:30pm – 9:30pm Admiralty MRT - NJC

III. 21 July, Wednesday 7:30pm – 9:30pm Admiralty MRT - NJC

Volunteers:

We need FOUR volunteers for each of the sessions, preferably different volunteers to ensure everyone gets CIP hours! ^^ Scholars who need to take 'leave' from Boarding School to participate in the above events, please do so in advance. =) Do note that the Sidewalk Astronomy Sessions are weather-dependent... so if it is too cloudy or it rains, then X.X.

Bring portable telescope :

NJAstro is also to bring her own telescope, so we shall choose a portable scope (can anyone guess which scope? xD), bring it to AGCC and store the scope there on the 2/7/2010 (must decide quickly).

Okies. I think that's all for now. I have to run. AC 2010's tomorrow!!! :O :O :) I shall go now. =)

~~The Double. Brown Dwarf. xD

NJC Astronomy Club EXCO 2010

2010-05-28T13:29:00.005+08:00

First of all,

Congratulations to those who are elected into the new NJC Astro EXCO 2010. To those who are not selected, always bear in mind that your contribution as a member can be just as impactful.

Congratulations to the following:

President: Sivam
Vice-president (SH): Cao Li
Vice-president (JH): Lam
Secretary: Wei De
Quarter masters: Wei De and Yusheng
Research officer: Shengmu and Hui Ning

I wish the new NJC Astro EXCO all the best. The road ahead will not be easy. With power comes great responsibility, and with responsibility comes high expectations. But I can assure you that this will be an enjoyable and memorable experience if you commit your heart and soul into it. Give it your best shot and bring NJC Astro to greater heights beyond the moon and beyond the stars =)

It has been a real pleasure working together with the previous EXCO and I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Zhao Yuan, Zhuoyun, Lam, Cao Li and Tung. It has been GREAT working with you guys. I would also like to thank the rest of the members for making each and every session organised by us a truly memorable and meaningful experience. I hope that all members will continue to support the new EXCO just like how all of you have supported the previous EXCO.

Last but not least, I wish our Senior and Junior teams all the best for the upcoming NUS-NTU Astrochallenge.

NJC Astro - Because we ain't afraid of the dark

Cheers,
Edrei

Orientation - "Under the Starry Night" 5 Feb

2010-02-03T22:30:00.003+08:00

Dear juniors,

Thank you for indicating your interest in joining the NJC Astronomy Club! Choosing the right CCA is important as joining a CCA which interest you will enrich your college life and make your experience in NJC a fruitful and memorable one. NJC Astronomy Club, with its unique blend of the popular Science Astronomy and amateur hobby of star gazing, stands out among other CCAs in providing a distinctively different yet enjoyable experience.

In NJC Astronomy Club, we explore a wide range of disciplines including stars, planets, astrobiology, and spacecraft exploration. Some of the most bizzare theories in Astronomy- Big Bang, black hole and time travel- are also explored.

By joining NJC Astronomy Club, you can expect to do night sky observation - view planets, star clusters, nebula and galaxies throuh our telescopes, or simply enjoy the pleasure of navigating your way through constellations, perhaps in a meteor shower. You can also expect to attend exciting talks by Astronomers, overseas star-gazing trips cum immersions, Astronomy camps and competitions. Our weekly session is on Friday, 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm, but we do have occassional star gazing sessions at night.

Want to know more about our Astronomy Club? Join us for our orientation, "Under the Starry Night", on coming Friday (5 Feb). An introduction to the subject Astronomy and an overview of the Astronomy experience in Singapore will be presented. Exciting games and a night sky observation session are also included. Refreshment will be provided.

"Under the Starry Night"

5 February 2010, Friday

Time:4.30 - 7.00 pm (Introduction to Astronomy and games)
7.00 pm (Refreshment)
7.30 - 9.30 pm (Night sky Observation)

Venue: Sigma Lab

Any inquires, feel free to contact me (Hp: 93279588). We hope to see you on the coming Friday.

Regards,
Edrei Chua
NJC Astronomy Club 2010

- Because we ain't afraid of the dark -

A pale blue dot

2009-12-20T11:16:00.003+08:00

Pale Blue Dot

"Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." - Carl Sagan

HaHa... some food for thought =)

Astro @ NJ Boarding

2009-10-30T19:27:00.004+08:00

Click on the poster to see full view. The Boarding school session is on 4 November starting at 0730 pm. All members are required to be present to help. Meet 0730 sharp (or earlier but not later) at the Boarding School garden. In the event of bad weather, we will be meeting at the conference room of the boarding school.

Cheers,

Edrei

Hwa Chong Astro Fiesta

2009-10-26T18:00:00.002+08:00

Hi astro members,

Hwa Chong Astronomy Club is organsing the HC Astro Fiesta on 29th October 2009 (Thursday) at the High School field and Auditorium. It will be from 7pm to 11pm.

Attractive prizes will be given out plus it is a good opportunity to get to know other astro people. So do try to come for this event.

For more information, please refer to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156696167953 Please let me know if you are interested.

Cheers
Edrei

Galilean Night

2009-10-17T23:58:00.002+08:00

Hey Astro members,

Please take note that the Galilean Night Event on 23 Oct Friday is COMPULSORY for all members. Attendance will be taken. Details of the event is in the previous post. Zhuo Yun will also be sending an email with the consent form and all other relevant information. Please take note that you are supposed to print out the consent form, get it signed and place it in Ms Yeo's letter tray lattest by 22 Oct Thursday.

The overnight event on 24 Oct is optional however all members are strongly encouraged to attend this event since we havent had much overnight session this year. Furthermore, orionids is one of the more promising meteor shower and from experience you can expect to see 10 - 30 meteors in a night depending on both weather and luck. Those who are interested please indicate it in the consent form and let Zhuo Yun know about it so all the boarders can apply for permission from boarding school together.

We seek your co-operation by adhering to all instructions given. Any doubts please feel free to clarify with me =)

Cheers,
Edrei

Galilean Night 2009

2009-10-14T17:37:00.004+08:00

Above is information of Galilean Night 2009, held on 23 and/or 24 October 2009. Click on the image to view the full size version. Let me know if you are interested.

Cheers,

Edrei

Term 4

2009-10-11T18:03:00.005+08:00

Hey Astro people,

I've designed a logo for NJ Astro club. Please feel free to give comment on the design and feedback on how to improve it.

The schedule for term 4 will be out pretty soon. The exco is still confirming the time and date. But most probably there will be a session coming Friday 16 Oct 2009. Venue is at Sigma Lab, 6:30 pm. There will be an observation session after that.

The Boarding School Session for the JH 1 will be on 4 Nov 2009. So PLEASE keep that night free for all members are to help out on that day. We are seriously SHORT-HANDED so we need EVERYONE. I will upload the plans for the boarding school session onto the blog asap so remember to check the blog regularly.

That's all folks. Good luck for your End of Year Examinations. Hope to see you soon =)

Edrei

Some things to do in December =)

2009-08-30T11:09:00.003+08:00

1. Learn how to polar align a GEM with the "star drift" method

2. Procure a R.A drive for both NJC and NUS

3. Observe without ever having to touch the slow motion controls again =)

-Kenneth

Total Solar Eclipse on 22 July 2009

2009-07-22T22:44:00.009+08:00

First of all would like to apologize for my infrequent updating of the blog; I will try my best to keep up with it. Anyway, apparently the blogger interface is down so I'm using another one to post this : /

The solar eclipse of July 22, 2009 was the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting as much as 6 minutes and 39 seconds in some places.

This article pretty much covers what happened around the world over:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/22/solar.eclipse/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

The view observed in Singapore would be a partial one, with a maximum obscuration of 3.63% (which would be around 4% as mentioned in the media). The first link is an animation of the eclipse of Singapore, the second shows the maximum obscuration. (thanks to vangoh from singastro!)

http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0412009/Singapore_Singapore_2009Jul21_anim.gif
http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0412009/Singapore_Singapore_2009Jul21.png

Unfortunately, the heavens did not favour us and there was an island-wide downpour during the eclipse period (around 8-10am), thus making it impossible to observe the partial eclipse. If I'm not wrong there was a TASOS expedition to China to observe the eclipse (21 July Straits Times prime pg 6), hopefully they had better luck, as well as those who went to China for the eclipse had the good grace of weather too.

I would love to post some pictures that rlow took of the eclipse in Hangzhou, however I'm unable to do so because the blogger interface is down. Finally, a link to provide some food for thought. It makes me so envious of those who have experienced totality! T_T

http://www.mreclipse.com/Totality/TotalityCh01.html

-Kenneth

Updates

2009-07-17T09:03:00.002+08:00

Hey Astro ppl,

CCA will resume next week on 24 July, Friday. I apologised for not being able to turn up on the coming Astro session as I need to attend my former secondary school speech day.

Details of the session are as followed:

Date: 24 July 2009, Friday
Venue: Sigma Lab
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Topic: Optics and related trivia

Cao Li will be in charge of the session while the rest of the Exco will do their best to help him (Hey, Tung, Lam and Zhuo Yun... Don't be happy too soon... your turn will come too... *MUhhaahah* LOL)

Hwa Chong Astronomy Club has also invited our club for this dialogue session with Sir Martin Rees, a prominent researcher and the current Astronomer Royal. I will like everyone to attend if possible. I have passed the relay message through sms, but just in case you happen to see this blog post but not check your hp (how unlikely is that... I wonder...), well, do let me know asap either through email (edreichua@hotmail.com ; njastro@gmail.com ) or hp.

Date: 25 August 2009, Tuesday
Time: 10:00 -12:00 pm
Venue: Hwa Chong Institution, LT@SRC

Lastly, I will be posting our term 3 schedule (including senior farewell party, our informal astro outing or gathering, astro programmes for boarding school and of course the normal sessions and star gazing) really soon so do remember to check the blog for regular updates. Also, feel free to email me if you have any suggestions for term 3. Meanwhile good luck and have fun =)

Cheers,
Edrei Chua

Particle physics and a great website for starters

2009-07-16T19:26:00.009+08:00

For some of you starters who are interested in particle physics, the plethora of books and online resources available on the topic might be a little overwhelming. Even some of the wikipedia articles covering the topic have some advanced areas that may be difficult to understand, i.e http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/standard_model . Therefore, I would like to recommend the following site for starters who wish to have a basic introductory foundation to the topic.

This award-winning site introduces particle mechanics such as The Standard Model, Accelerators and Particle Detectors etc. in a fun and interesting manner. The interactive tours are viewable at http://www.particleadventure.org/ .

-Kenneth

Ob report on AstrOrdinary Camp'09 @ Pulau Ubin 20th June

2009-07-16T19:07:00.009+08:00

Hello everyone!

I'm writing this ob report not only as practice for future ob reports in future but also to give other first timers a general idea of the observation site etc.

Met up with JY(Jun Ying) and 3 of his friends who wanted to go for the ob at around 5pm (20th June) at Changi village. Unfortunately, while we were unable to attend the afternoon activities, JY is a confident Bin trekker so we were confident of making our way to any campsite in Bin. Changi village has a ferry terminal where ferries cater not only to Pulau Bin, but also places such as Desaru. I didn't bring anything except for my laser pointer and some water, which turned out to be a mistake. The rest brought snacks like Top biscuits, Ritz biscuits, ice cold beer, and other random stuff like a DSLR and macbook. Thereafter to get to Bin you wait for a ferry bumboat where the captain waits until there are 12 people before setting off. The fee is $2.50 for a single trip, therefore a trip to and fro will cost one $5.00.

Upon reaching there we had dinner at one of the numerous eateries available. There are numerous eateries to choose from, generally at affordable prices. There were also many bike rental shops available for bike rental. As our original plan was to rent bikes, we asked around various shops for the rates and the general rate for rental of bike overnight was $6.00, per bike. After discussion however, we decided not to rent the bikes for 2 main reasons: a) to save money and b) there were some off-road gravel tracks with rough terrain and rocks that we were unsure the bikes could traverse. We also considered renting a van but we were not sure of the cost and we needed to know our route(via walking) to find our way back. Thus the decision to walk to the observation site was made.

The observation site is actually based on the northern site of Bin near Bubut hut near Kekak Quarry and Ketam Quarry (see map). Basically, it’s the OBS campsite beside Kekek Quarry. The site is around 4-5km away from the Pulau Bin Jetty start point and by foot, takes slightly less than an hour to traverse. The roads leading to the observation site have no signboards nor significant landmarks pointing to its direction for someone new to the island, therefore it is recommended that someone experienced lead the way should it be the first time the group is travelling to the ob site. (For us, it was JY in this case) The roads leading to the ob site also do not have any street lamps along the way, it is easy to get lost along the path once the sun sets especially nearer the end of the trail, when there are dirt trails(off road gravel tracks with rough terrain and rocks) and not paved streets. It is thus advisable to bring a torchlight in case one is unable to reach the ob site before nightfall. Also, there are no sources of potable water along the way, and also only 1 restroom stop. We managed to find the ob site even after nightfall due not only to the experience of JY but also due to the fact that a MP astro member managed to identify us. I will talk more about the observation site and the logistics involved later.

The observation site is actually a small clearing located in the middle of dense vegetation(trees). The clearing no longer has any grass due to previous campers clearing the error, making it a suitable place for placing groundsheets etc. as the insect count from vegetation is reduced. The vegetation provides a "perfect" cover from ambient city lights, such that the only light visible provided light discipline on the ground is the skyglow(light pollution) from Johor in the north and Singapore in the south. However the skyglow is prevalent enough such that the limiting apparent magnitude is around 4+, so Milky Way is not visible, even without cloud cover. The vegetation only rises about 30 degrees altitude above the horizon so it is acceptable.

Logistically wise, there is no food or potable water available nearby so one would need to bring their own. There is also no restroom nearby (the nearest one is over 2km away). There is also no shelter from the elements available nearby so a tent would be required in case of rain(debatable issue though, thankfully it didn’t rain).

When we reached the ob site there was actually major cloud cover. However, these were generally cumulonimbus or low-altitude clouds so I was personally confident that the wind would blow them over. We reached the campsite around 715pm, and while it was still dusk despite the major cloud cover several bright stars and objects could be easily identified, such as Arcturus, Saturn, Regulus, Castor and Pollux setting etc. However, at this point constellations could not be easily identified. The "weather" was hot and humid. The reception for handphone signals was also very poor, depending on the provider communication with the mainland was close to impossible. We also heard from the MP astro members that there was a fallen log blocking the dirt path to the camp site. Apparently the van carrying the scopes and other supplies had to stop at the fallen log (because it was impossible to pass through) and they carried all the scopes and supplies via hand to the ob site : / It is unsure at the point of writing whether NParks or OBS personnel have removed the fallen log.

Photo courtesy of Lim Jun Ying

MP Astro had brought 2 scopes, a 4.7 inch double element wide-field achromat(600mm f/l) and a 90mm(I think) triple element apo. While waiting for the clouds to blow over the the wide field achromat was set up and trained on Saturn. The seeing was really bad at the time so there was not much point in pushing magnification, at ~50X the rings could be seen, however Cassini division could not be resolved at the magnification. Detail was also not visible in the tiny disk at that magnification. Titan was visible on the far left of the planet.

The few of us engaged in casual banter and before long it was around 11pm. As expected the low-altitude clouds blew over and there was a improvement in the condition of the night sky (namely the transparency). For the first time in many years I was able to, with the help of Stellarium software in the macbook identify whole shapes of constellations in the night sky which would never be possible in the mainland. We managed to trace out, via the laser pointer, the kite shape of Bootes, square of Hercules and its arms and bow, the U shape of Corona Borealis, the "Pentagon" of Ophiuchus and even some stars of Draco. Corvus, Libra and the big dipper of Ursa Major were also identifiable. On towards the southern/eastern sky, Antares was rising fast in the sky and the shape of scorpius was readily visible to all, together with the teapot of Sagittarius. So were the southern stars of Centaurus, Crux, and Lupus. Faint constellations such as Norma, Hydra and Corona Borealis were sadly out of our reach. Still, I was very impressed by the increase in limiting apparent magnitude compared to any part of the mainland.

The wide field refractor was used by our human "goto" Siu Yung and I absolutely fell in love with the beauty of wide field views. A 40mm ep with 600mm f/l gave a magnification of 15X with a comparatively huge 4.7 inch unobstructed aperture. The Jewel box, or NGC4755 could be framed well within the eyepiece together with the blue-white view of Mimosa, which I had not seen with any other scope. The attention was then turned to M13, which was readily visible as a fuzzy white ball, but sadly unresolved. Moving on to M57, the ring nebula it was seen as a faint white small "ring" that contrasted against the background of pin-point stars. Unlike the mainland sky where I had to use averted vision, M57 was visible even with direct vision, an impressive feat. Thereafter we moved to M4, which was not as well defined as M13 (as it was also a globular cluster) but readily visible nonetheless. In the Takakhashi apo with smaller aperture it was noted that the image was dimmer, but that it had much higher contrast. I still have a long way to go as a visual connoisseur I guess! My guess is it would probably need a larger aperture to resolve. The open clusters in scorpius M6 and M7 were a sight to behold. M6, in the wide field refractor had a distinct butterfly shape. M7 was defined by a multitude of stars across the whole FOV. Indeed, clusters are best viewed via wide field refractors. :) Moving on to M22 the globular cluster again could again be seen as a fuzzy patch, like M4 and M13. The most impressive, however, was M20, where I could clearly see nebulosity in the trifid emission nebula.

As the hours passed the summer triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb was clearly seen and the complete constellations of Aquila(which I never observed in mainland before) and Cygnus together with Lyra(also never seen the rhombus in sg before) were clearly visible. Sadly I didn't think of some objects in mind such as Albireo, the double double Epsilon Lyrae and M11 in scutum. It was 3 am and the sleep monster was getting to some people. In order to stay awake I thought of the ingenious idea to maintain constant conversation with the 4 of JY's group so that we would not fall asleep. Although one of them fell asleep, the rest of the 4 of us remained salient and were able to keep ourselves awake. Most of the rest of the people eventually fell to the temptation of the Z monster. In the night sky though, strange patterns which I had never seen before were rising in the east and due to the lack of the Macbook (asleep), I had trouble identifying them. Meanwhile, Jupiter rising from the East was extremely bright compared to mainland standards and seemed like a beacon in the sky. I managed to identify the great square of Pegasus but Capricornus and Aquarius around Jupiter was too hard for me to decode. The only other constellation I could decode was far north, the constellation of Cassiopeia, a wide M shape. With the scope trained on Jupiter, I was amazed at the level of detail seen, it even surpassed the C8 at NJC which I used to observe Jupiter with. Details in the bands were clearly visible, though apparently the GRS was not in view. All four of Jupiter's Galilean moons were visible.

If Jupiter was bright, then Venus would be a UFO. It was so bright that I felt it could almost cast a shadow. Under the scope false colour of the wide field refractor was finally very apparent, with the edges bleeding violet. Interestingly it showed a half phase of the moon, but no other surface features as expected. Soon, the crescent moon started to be visible above the treetops at dawn. For the first time, I could see the "earthshine" effect of the crescent moon(reflected light from the earth illuminating the night side of the moon) with the naked eye, which I rarely observed in mainland. In the scope, details such as Maria and craters were apparent in the night side of the moon, even though false colour was visible around the lit edges.

Brief overview of deep sky objects:

NGC4755: "A-shape" pattern of coloured stars (bright-blue and reddish-orange) clearly visible beside mimosa in wide field view

M13: distinct "fuzzy" patch, however unable to resolve cluster

M57: faint white "smoky" ring, able to be seen with direct vision

M4: faint "fuzzy" patch, also unable to resolve cluster

M6: distinct "butterfly" shape of bright-blue stars with orange giant BM Scorpii clearly visible, open cluster easily framed in wide field view

M7: Ptolemy cluster able to be framed in wide field FOV, entire field of densely packed stars (stardust effect)

M22: faint "fuzzy" patch, unable to resolve cluster

M20: nebulosity clearly seen in HII region (seriously wonders what one would see in a 12 inch scope under Mersing sky ^_^)

And thus, the observation ended. Really have to thank MP Astro for organizing this event and for lending us the groundsheet, allowing us to observe via their equipment etc, even though I felt very “paiseh” we didn’t help much in the logistical part. (for e.g carrying scopes to ob site and back, sorry JP!)

Ok several views(advantages/disad) on this ob, firstly I felt that this observation site is an excellent site for ob in SG territory. As mentioned above, the vegetation blocks all ambient light from the cities and only skyglow is visible should light discipline on the ground be maintained. Thus, should be used as an ob site as much as possible.

Furthermore, the views far surpass that of the main land. The clear naked eye visibility of the rhombus of Lyra and the visibility of nebulosity in M20 in a 5 inch scope have far surpassed that of my mainland experiences. Mainland locations are not only closer to the sources of skyglow(light pollution) but also have too much ambient light, which is a major cause of limiting apparent magnitude.

Last but not least, being part of Singapore territory, it is easier to plan such an event for students compared to overseas trips like Mersing or Desaru.

Disadvantages wise, I think a major problem is the issue of moving equipment from the paved roads to the beaten off-track graveled, rocky tracks, since both cycling and renting a van could have some problems travelling these roads. Also, the fallen log problem showed that they had to carry equipment quite a long distance from the van to the ob site.

Another disadvantage is the cost problem. The transport to and fro Bin costs 5 dollars per person, excluding food. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, it was a mistake not to bring insect repellent (I only brought water), as I suffered numerous insect bites(probably sand fly bites) all over my arms.

In summary though, this site has still the darkest northern sky in Singapore. Maybe NJ astro and other schs can organize a trip someday after exams!

-Kenneth

An attempt to revive this blog

2009-07-14T23:30:00.002+08:00

In an attempt to revive this blog, I will be posting some astronomy related material here from day to day, an eventual goal would be to have something like http://www.visualastronomy.com . Looking forward to your support!

-Kenneth

Astro Session

2009-07-06T08:28:00.002+08:00

Dear all,

Just a reminder. There is an Astro session coming Friday, 10 July, 6 pm at Sigma Lab.

Edrei =)

NUS-NTU Astrochallenge 2009

2009-06-17T09:11:00.003+08:00

Hey astro people,

NUS-NTU Astrochallenge has finally ended! NJ team 2 won the team 1st runner-up in the senior category as well as the most popular project, both which are commendable achievements! Congrats! A great thank you to the alumni (esp kenneth) who came back to train the team too!

For those who participated but didn't manage to enter final, don't be demoralised. All of you did a really great job and your devotion to the competetion is well appreciated. Continue to work hard for next year Astrochallenge! I am confident if we are united as one and are willing to work towards a common goal, NJCastro will be able to strive to greater heights. May our legacy live on!

Cheer,
Edrei

Mortal as I am, I know that I am born for a day. But when I follow at my pleasure the serried multitude of the stars in their circular course, my feet no longer touch the earth.
- Ptolemy,c.150 AD.

Training resources

2009-05-19T08:50:00.003+08:00

Dear all,

Please log on to this website drop.io/njcastronomy for competition notes and other important documents. Do NOT spread the password around, as the materials are strictly confidential and only for circulation within NJC Astronomy Club.

Hope our training and competition go smoothly :D

Clear skies,

Anne (:

Astronomy lecture

2009-04-15T01:24:00.004+08:00

Hi all astro members!

There will be an interesting Astronomy lecture next week.

Talk title - Solar System Planetary Magnetic Fields

Speaker – Professor Jeremy Bloxham

Harvard University

Venue - Lecture Theatre (LT) 31

Block S16 Level 3

NUS Faculty of Science

Lower Kent Ridge Road

Date Time - Thursday 23-Apr 6.00pm

Synopsis

The planets in our Solar System exhibit a wide range of magnetic fields. Earth and the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn have strong, predominantly dipolar magnetic fields. The ice giants Uranus and Neptune have strong but highly non-dipolar fields. Mercury has a weak field, Mars an extinct field, and Venus no field.

Magnetic fields are generated by dynamo action in electrically-conducting, convecting regions in a planet’s interior. This dynamo action can be investigated both experimentally and numerically. The last decade has seen great advances in numerical models of dynamo action, but they still operate in a numerical regime that is far from that which is appropriate. Given the limitations of the numerical models we ask whether the gross differences that we see between the magnetic fields of the different planets can be explained by the gross differences in those planets’ internal structure. We also examine the critical role of observations, and the constraints that observations can place on dynamo theory.

Geophysicist Professor Jeremy Bloxham is Dean of Science in Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Mallinckrodt Professor of Geophysics, and professor of computational science in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He was first appointed to the Harvard faculty as an assistant professor in 1987, promoted to full professor in 1993 and assumed the Mallinckrodt chair in 2005. In 2002, he was named a Harvard College Professor, a distinction recognizing exceptional undergraduate teaching.

Prof Bloxham studies how planets generate magnetic fields, a long-recognized dynamic phenomenon that is still not fully understood despite more than four centuries of scientific investigation. His research group has developed a three-dimensional numerical model that could help explain why the Earth’s magnetic field has weakened by as much as 10 percent over the past 150 years. Other interests include the application of high-performance computing and visualization to problems in geophysics.

Prof Bloxham holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Mathematics from Cambridge University awarded in 1982 and 1986 respectively, and a Ph.D. in Geophysics awarded by Cambridge University in 1986. He is a fellow of the Royal Society, Royal Astronomical Society, and the American Geophysical Union, and a member of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Geophysical Research and Geophysical Journal International and has received professional honors including a Packard Foundation Fellowship in 1990, the Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1991, the Macelwane Medal of the American Geophysical Union in 1994, and the Chapman Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2001.

Do notify me if you're interested, then we can go from school together.

Thanks a lot!

Clear skies (:

Resources

2009-03-27T17:56:00.004+08:00

Hi all!

So here I am trying to revive a (quite) dead blog.
Below are links to several webpages that I find helpful. Do explore and make good use of them!

Astronomy Picture of the Day
Stellarium - stargazing software
Astronomy.sg - website for Singapore IYA2009
Singastro - a non profit organization for astro enthusiasts in Singapore. Lots of info on practical astronomy can be found here.

If you know of any other website that you find useful, do contribute!

Clear skies (:

Orientation 2009!

2009-02-11T15:16:00.002+08:00

Dear all,

We'll be having our NJC Astro orientation this coming Friday 13 Feb, 5-7pm, at Sigma lab. There'll be an introductory talk about astronomy as well as fun and interactive games. You're also encouraged to join us for our dinner and stargazing session (optional) after 7PM (:

Please contact any Astro EXCOs if you're interested. Our contacts can be found at Astro noticeboard between LT1 and LT2.

Thanks a lot and see you there!

NJC Astronomy Club

SnT - Astro chalet

2008-12-14T15:18:00.004+08:00

Dear all,

If you happen to have not checked your email, yet gone to this blog (which I personally think is highly unlikely, but ANYWAY), here are the details for the upcoming chalet on 10 Jan 2009.

Date: Saturday, 10^th January (1 day 1 night)

Location: Aloha Changi, Yacht Club Bungalow B (YCB B)

Plan:

Time	Activity
6.00-8.20pm	BBQ dinner!
8.30-9.00pm	Wash up
9.00pm-11.00pm	GAMES
11.00pm-8.00am	Sleep/Free and Easy
8.00am	Rise and Shine
8.30-9.15am	Breakfast
9.20-10am	Outdoor Activities
10-10.30am	Pack up and cleaning up of place

Estimated cost per person: ~$S20 (This figure will vary according to the number of people who are coming. If more people are coming, the amount will be lesser).

Map of the place:

Details:

· Single-storey chalets

· Fully furnished with:

- Living room set with TV and games table; dining room

- 3 air-conditioned bedrooms with 1 queen bed and 4 single beds, wardrobes, dressers, bedside tables and wall fans

- 1 bedroom with attached bathroom cum toilet

- 2 common bathrooms, 2 common toilets

- Toilets with shower heater

- BBQ pit and fully equipped kitchen

How to get there:

By bus and train

· Take the east bound train to Tampines MRT station

· Transfer to Bus no. 29

· Take the east bound train to Pasir Ris MRT station

· Take a shuttle bus that commutes to and from the station

- Pick-up/Drop-off points:

Pasir Ris MRT: Taxi stand facing the main road (near Mac Donald’s)

Aloha Loyang: Outside the Reception Office

Shuttle Bus Service (wef 1 Jan 2008)
*from Pasir Ris MRT to aloha* loyang**	*from aloha* loyang to Pasir Ris MRT**	from aloha loyang to aloha changi**	*from aloha* changi to Pasir Ris MRT**
0800 hrs	-	-	-
0815 hrs	-	-	-
0830 hrs	-	-	-
0845 hrs	0855 hrs	-	-
0915 hrs	-	0930 hrs	0950 hrs
-	-	1015 hrs	1030 hrs
-	1055 hrs	-	-
1115 hrs	1155 hrs	-	-
1215 hrs	1245 hrs	-	-
1345 hrs	1355 hrs	-	-
1415 hrs	-	1430 hrs	1450 hrs
1515 hrs	-	1530 hrs	1550 hrs
1615 hrs	-	1630 hrs	1650 hrs
1715 hrs	1735 hrs	-	-
1845 hrs	1855 hrs	-	-
1915 hrs	1955 hrs	-	-
2015 hrs	2055 hrs	-	-
2115 hrs	-	2130 hrs	2145 hrs
2200 hrs	2215 hrs	-

2. By car

If you're coming from the north, get the driver to take SLE/TPE, and exit to Loyang Ave (towards Changi Village). *

If you're coming from the west, you can get whoever driving you to either take AYE/ECP or PIE to TPE/SLE, and exit to Loyang Ave (towards Changi Village). *

* Go along Loyang Ave (it's quite a long and windy route) and turn left into Cranwell Road. Changi chalets are located along Cranwell, Gosport, Andover, Leuchars, Catterick, Netheravon, Halton, Sealand and Biggin Hill Roads.

Please inform me by 24 Dec if you're interested. Thanks (:

Anne

Astrophysics night @ MPCC

2008-11-16T21:52:00.002+08:00

Astrophysics night at Marine Parade Community Club for those bored during holidays, and for seniors just done with A level and hungry for some astro (:

Interested participants please contact Anne. Thanks loads!

Pulau Ubin camp

2008-10-25T22:50:00.003+08:00

Pulau Ubin camp for 3 days 2 nights organised by MPASTRO.

Interested participants please contact Anne.

Thank you (:

CERN comics

2008-10-23T15:51:00.004+08:00

from http://www.phdcomics.com

LMAO =))

Orionids Star Party

2008-10-22T06:58:00.004+08:00

Last Saturday, after finishing the NJC open day, the astro club went to the East Coast to join the Orionids star party organized by the MPCC astro club. It was an activity open to all the astro clubs in Singapore. As we reached the destination, Anne taught the members how to set up a telescope and align the finding scope. Everything was ready, but the sky became a bit cloudy and the whole group had to wait. Certainly a lot of activities were prepared to entertain us as the backup plan. At midnight, the moonlight pollution flawed the whole plan and it really disrupted the observation to a certain extent. Fortunately, most stars could still be spotted.

Let me tell you how many things I have learned in this star party:Trace the stars. Yeah, you need to know some important stars, like Archenar to help you confirm the direction and then use the star chart to help you have a general idea about the position of the star you want to find. Yes, by using this method, I found Pleiades. That’s really the most thrilling moment. One more thing, next time do not forget to bring a jacket, otherwise your are going to freeze.

Hemiao

Updates!

2008-10-12T23:18:00.003+08:00

Dear astro members,

Here's our schedule for Term 4, 2008.

Orionids star party (18th - 19th Oct 2008)

Attendance for this event will be counted, and there'll be 1 way transport provided from school to Marine Parade Community Club. Since it's after Open Day, we'll go head straight there after cleaning up, and have dinner together (:

All members please reply to njastro at gmail dot com to confirm your attendance for the star party. Thanks!

Guest lecture on Wednesday 22nd October 2008

There'll be a lecture by Mr. Leek Meng Lee on our last session of the year! Title and description of the talk is as follow:

Title: From your physics textbooks to the Large Hadron Collider to the start of the universe

Introduction: This talk brings you on a journey, starting from your Physics textbooks to Man's quest in understanding the start of the Universe. We will start from the Physics at the JC level and bring it (conceptually) over to the highest Physics theories that we have. This is needed to understand the most intricate interactions between matter, energy, space and time. During the start of the Universe, we have these intricate interactions going on. Due to the high temperature and high energy, these interactions are in their most extreme version. Man attemps to reproduce such conditions on Earth through particle collider machines, the latest and the most advanced one is LHC (Large Hadron Collider). We will take a peek into this monster machine and how it will tell us the start of the Universe.

After the talk, we'll head over to Hwa Chong Institution for a brief observation session and socialise and make friends (:

Til then!

Spot the mistake! answer

2008-10-02T14:13:00.005+08:00

Hey all! I'm so glad that exams are all over =D Now, back to our usual activities...

A few weeks ago I posted this.

Anyone managed to spot the mistake? If you couldn't, no matter, read on!

Everyone must be familiar with the terms "Big Dipper" and "Pole star", etc. both of which are supposedly useful in helping you locate the North direction and navigate your way when you're lost, as depicted in popular culture.

Now popular culture, more often than not, uses the terms interchangeably, while there is a marked distinction between the two.

A quick glance back to a diagram of the celestial sphere shows you this:

Image taken from http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~archung/labs/fall2001/images/celestial-sphere.jpg

As seen, the North Celestial Pole (NCP) is the point where the entire celestial sphere, or "sky", appears to rotate about. The NCP also happens to be marked by a star of apparent magnitude 1.97, thus it appears stationary as the sky rotates about the NCP. Polaris therefore is a good pointer to the North.

Polaris aka Pole Star belongs to the asterism Little Dipper, whose picture is shown below:

Image taken from http://my.execpc.com/60/B3/culp/astronomy/fig/LittleDipper.gif

Another good North pointer is the Big Dipper.

Image taken from http://my.execpc.com/60/B3/culp/astronomy/fig/BigDipper.gif

Big Dipper and Little Dipper share a little bit of resemblance, thus explain the names.

The bigger asterism, due to its close angular distance from the NCP (as seen at 2 o'clock on 1st picture), is also a good North pointer. It however does not stay motionless on the sky, and thus rotates about the NCP just like the rest. Its stars are brighter and the asterism is more recognisable than Polaris, thus Big Dipper can be used to find Polaris, then North.

As such, referring back to the image we had last time...

The image shown was that of Big Dipper, NOT Little Dipper, therefore our Pole Star appears to have been misplaced, removed from Little Dipper and placed at Big Dipper instead. Big Dipper thus is not stationary, or "always there", and as it goes, the boy deceived the poor little girl -_-

ALSO, Polaris, at an apparent magnitude of 1.97, is not "the brightest star". Our brightest star excluding the Sun would have to be Sirius of Canis Major, at apparent magnitude -1.46. For more information, just wiki.

Hope this clears up some's misconceptions!

Clear skies (:

Large Hadron Rap

2008-09-09T16:09:00.003+08:00

At 1:30AM Wednesday, September 10th, scientists working at CERN's Large Hadron Collider will make their first attempt to circulate a beam of particles through the entire LHC. Initial tests through a part of this humongous particle accelerator were carried out on 8th-11th August, and the first high energy collisions are scheduled to take place after 21st October 2008.

As physics fanatics around the world rejoice (or wail about the world's end, for that matter), countless articles and clips and songs are created, this being one.
Enjoy!

Clear skies,
Anne (:

Sentosa Get-together star party photo

2008-09-07T16:30:00.003+08:00

Some of us went, and so here's the photo.

A technique to star-hopping for beginners! =P

2008-09-06T03:10:00.008+08:00

At this point of time, we're living in the world of high-technological devices. With just a slight push on the button, we could be pleased see from the nearest object in the dark sky to the farthest possible range of DSO!
However, enjoying astronomy is not always equal to satisfy with newly invented tools and machines, but also filled with some interest dating back to the most basic: manual star-hopping! =D
...
So what would you need? Simply a beginner's star charts and a decent binoculars or small telescope! For better joy, a telescope is recommended.

Once you have the atlas, the next step is to determine the visual field of the eyepiece you are using. In order to determine the power given by the eyepiece, you should divide the focal length of the instrument by that of the eyepiece. If for example we have an eyepiece with an apparent field of 50 degrees, which assembled to the telescope gives a power of 30x, then the visual field of the eyepiece will be equal to the apparent field divided by the magnifying power of the eyepiece, that is 50/30, which is about 1.7 degrees.

If you don't know the apparent field of the eyepiece the matter becomes a little more complicated... In order to find out the visual field of the eyepiece in this particular case, you should direct the instrument to a star as close as possible to the celestial equator, set the star at the edge of the visual field and measure the time it takes for the star to cross the eyepiece, without moving the instrument. Knowing that a star near the celestial equator will move one degree every four minutes, you can calculate the visual field of the eyepiece.

In order to find a celestial object with the star hopping method, the visual field of your eyepiece should be as large as possible, so don't use great magnification. This way you will be able to see several stars in the field, and will have reference points. Only when you have found the desired object should you use eyepieces with great magnifying power.

Next then to the checking on telescope.

Check the alignment of your finderscope: Find a bright star or planet, center it on the crosshairs, and make sure it is in the dead center of the 25mm eyepiece. It will be impossible to star-hop succesfully without a well-aligned finderscope. Locate the finding chart for the object you're looking for.

Center the finder on the bright, naked-eye star near the object. Knowing the field of view of your finder scope, match the stars on the finding chart with the stars you see in the finder scope. While looking through the finder scope, move the telescope so that the finder field of view moves in the direction of the object you want, but keeping some stars in the field of view so that you always know where you are. You will probably want to move only one axis at a time. You will need to move far enough that the fine-adjustment knobs won't be good enough; you'll have to unclamp the telescope and carefully move it by hand

Repeat the previous step until you get the finder scope centered on the object you are looking for. Particularly with nebulae and galaxies, you may not be able to see the object you're looking for in the finder scope! If this is the case, then you must center the crosshairs of the finderscope on the right spot so that the pattern of stars you see around the crosshairs in the finder scope match the pattern of stars you see on the finding chart.

Look in the telescope for the object. Start with the 25mm eyepiece. Focus the telescope as best you can. If you're looking for something fuzzy, you will have better luck by focusing on other stars in the field of view. If it's a double star you're looking for, you should be able to see it. If the star doesn't look double, star at it for a little bit; it may be that it's a very close double that you're having a hard time splitting! Or, you ended up on the wrong object....

If you're looking for a faint fuzzy object, like a galaxy or nebula, if you can't see it at first spend a couple of minutes looking through the telescope. Move your eye around; you may not be perfectly centered on it!You often get a better view of dim objects by using averted vision. The receptors that are most sensitive to dim light (the rods) are concentrated more away from the center of your field of vision. By looking a little off to the side of a dim object, the light from that dim object then falls on those dimmer receptors. Try this, to see if you can get a better view of a nebula, cluster, or galaxy.

Taken from:

http://www.nightskyinfo.com/star-hopping/

http://brahms.phy.vanderbilt.edu/a103/labs/tl_starhop.shtml

Spot the mistake

2008-09-05T15:15:00.003+08:00

So. As the title says, can you spot the mistake in this manga script? No prize for the winner though, but it's good exercise once in a while (:

Will post the answer when I feel like it lols.

By the way, this is from an average shoujo manga named Orange Planet. You really shouldn't make the same mistake as I and waste your time with this XD

Clear skies,
Anne (:

Hanny's Voorwerp... new discovery by a primary teacher!

2008-08-30T03:13:00.005+08:00

"A little bit news here and there" now showing... The New Cosmic Ghost, Hanny's Voorwerp !
...

"Hanny's Voorwerp" is simply "Hanny's object" ("Voorwerp" means "object" in Dutch!)
...
Hanny is just an ordinary primary teacher like any one would think of. As a member of the web GalaxyZoo.org, she was just doing her usual work that was to classify the pictures uploaded there. While poring through the photos, something has captured her eyes: an unusual object with peculiar green colour and also a big halo in the middle of itself.
Lying near the spiral galaxy classified IC2497, this object stands out because of its shape, together with the g magnitude so bright as to suggest a single very strong emission line. This object is different from any classified galaxies; this could suggest that a new category of galaxy might be created!!!

After many research and checking of a lot of observatories and astrophysicistss, The only hypothesis is that this so-called "Voorwerp" is a small galaxy but act like reflection nebula that reflected light from a quasar event in the centre of IC2497 around 100,000 years ago.

People from the Hubble Space Telescope have promised to take a look closer into this object in 2009. Maybe at this point of time, we'll have a clearer picture on what the Voorwerp really is? =P

Optical aberrations

2008-08-20T21:08:00.006+08:00

To those who like optics, this is probably one of the simplest summary of optical aberrations that I came across in a thread from Cloudy Nights forum (: Something good to refer to (:

WHAT DO ABERRATIONS LOOK LIKE

ON_AXIS
Generally, not all aberrations are seen on-axis. The on-axis image created by aberrations is as follows:

curvature not seen on-axis.

coma not seen on-axis.

If the stars seem never to focus to a fine point, but at best remain slightly bloated and are still circular, and it cannot be focused out it is probably spherical aberration.

If the star seems to not come into sharp focus it may be astigmatism. If astigmatism is severe, then on-axis focused images will show a very small cross, never a fine pinpoint. Passing in and out of focus will show the out-of-focus image to flip orientation by 90°.

Longitudinal CA will produce softness of image focus of perfectly on-axis objects because all colors in the spectrum will not come to focus at the same point. Sometimes seen as a small circular band of color arounnd a finely focused star point.

OFF_AXIS
As for how you notice stars in the outer fov, the image created by aberrations is as follows:

If the star seems slightly bloated, but it can be refocused down to a finer point, then it is curvature.

If the stars seem flared as wedges with the point towards the middle and the flared wedge toward the outer edge, then it is coma. It cannot be focused out.

If the stars seem slightly bloated but are still circular, and it cannot be focused out it is spherical aberration.

If the star seems slightly bloated and slightly elongated than it is astigmatism. Astigmatism will show elongated images off axis. If astigmatism is severe, then on-axis focused images will show a very small cross, never a fine pinpoint.

If you have both astigmatism and coma, the off axis images will look like comets with an oblong axis, or like seagulls.

Longitudinal CA will produce softness of image focus of perfectly on-axis objects because all colors in the spectrum will not come to focus at the same point.

Lateral CA will produce color fringes around all bright objects when viewed slightly off axis, but you should see a different color towards the lens center than you see towards the lens edge.

Clear skies,
Anne (:

Mooooooooon

2008-08-16T23:38:00.005+08:00

The moon taken by my lousy camera phone through a Baby-G Takahashi refractor at Astronomy 2008 today (: No processing. Because I don't know how :|

Clear skies,
Anne (:

13 Zodiacal Counstellations

2008-08-15T20:00:00.003+08:00

I just now know that there are actually 13 zodiac constellations. Ophiuchus is added in. It is not the latest news, but already dated. But I still want to share with those who do not know it. Modern constellation boundaries were established around 1930, putting part of the ecliptic in Ophiuchus. The astrologers insist on 12 counstellations, because the concept of the astrological zodiac is to divide the ecliptic into twelve equal segments. These signs are named after the constellations they aligned with in the time of Ptolemy, who invented "modern" astrology about 1850 years ago, but really have nothing to do with the constellations. Since Ptolemy, precession of the equinoxes has shifted the alignment by about 25 degrees.

Interesting question

2008-08-14T23:33:00.001+08:00

In Pole to Pole, an early science fiction story by George Gtiffith, three explorers attempt to travel by capsule through a naturally formed tunnel directly from the South Pole to the North Pole. According to the story, as the capsule approaches Earth’s centre, the gravitational force on the explorers becomes alarmingly large and then, exactly at the centre, it suddenly but only momentarily disappears. Then the capsule travels through the second half of the tunnel, to the North pole.
Check Griffith’s description by finding the gravitational force on the capsule of mass m when it reaches a distance r from Earth’s centre. Assume that Earth is a sphere of uniform density p.

This is a question I saw from a physics book. If you work it out, you can find the interesting part.
Hint: use Newtonian Gravitation law. F=G(Mm)/r^2. Remember Newton’s shell theorem: a uniform shell of matter exerts no net gravitational force on a particle located inside it.

I will show the answer SOON! ^.^

Announcement

2008-08-12T12:38:00.003+08:00

Astro members:
Please take note of this announcement. Pls check your mail for the schedule and the allocation of the group presentation. There is also an attatched file of the EXCO's email address.
!!!Bring $29 dollars in next session for the astro jackets if you have ordered it.

Event: Astronomy 2008

2008-08-09T01:34:00.005+08:00

Hi all! Sorry for the lack of updates recently :P

Anyway! There'll be no astro session next week, so if you're free on Saturday, then do come for Astronomy 2008, an event organised by Singastro forum, at Singapore Art Museum, 10am-5pm 16th August. After that there'll be mass stargazing session outside SMU nearby, so you can stay and join the fun as well!
More details can be found here.

Clear skies,
Anne

P.S. I'm going! So if anyone else is, do tell me, then we can all go together yeah! :D

Circumhorizontal arc

2008-07-14T09:15:00.005+08:00

Anyone can spot a tiny rainbow among the cirrus cloud?
*hint hint: look above the lamppost!*
If you can't, never mind then, because I think my camera is quite lousy afterall. Anyway, for those who can, what you see is essentially a phenomenon called circumhorizontal arc.

A circumhorizontal arc is created when light is refracted through ice crystals in cirrus clouds. It occurs when the sun is at least 58 degrees above the horizon, and only in presence of cirrus clouds. In contrast to rainbow, circumhorizontal arc is seen on the same side of sky as the sun (so in case you are wondering, the sun in the picture is blocked by the trees).

Below are more pictures of this beautiful phenomenon:

(from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/Circumhorizontal_arc.jpg)

(from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/CircumhorizonArcIdaho.jpg)

(from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Circumhorizon_Arc.jpg)

(from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Ohlookarainbow.jpg)

Other related phenomena include iridescent cloud, circumzenithal arc, Kern arc, infralateral arc, supralateral arc, tangent arc, Parry arc, halo, parhelic circle, sundog, etc. in case this is not enough for your knowledge greed :D

I'm still wondering whether this is astro-related. lols

Clear skies,
Anne (:

Watch "The Sky at Night" online!

2008-07-12T18:51:00.004+08:00

Hey all!

This is super interesting! You can access this BBC website to watch current and past episodes of the monthly BBC TV documentary "The Sky at Night" online, hosted by Sir Patrick Moore. The show features a wide range of astronomical topics including stellar life cycles, radio astronomy, black holes, artificial satellites, neutron stars, and current celestial events such as comets or meteor showers, among others.

According to Wikipedia:
"Sir Patrick Moore is a former president of the British Astronomical Association, co-founder and former president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, author of over 70 books on astronomy, presenter of the longest running television series (with the same original presenter), "The Sky at Night" on the BBC and a famous figure on British television (such as being the Gamemaster). He is well known for his rapid mode of speech, trademark monocle, poorly fitting blazers, extremely high trouser line and a fondness for the xylophone."

You can explore other areas of BBC - Science & Nature: Space website as well. Do make good use of the resource when you have the time (:

Clear skies,
Anne

1st post!

2008-07-10T07:26:00.004+08:00

Hi all!

Our NJC Astronomy Club's blog is now up and running! The blog features a wide range of content from announcements, training-related issues, to your daily bits of astronomy!

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, etc. at the tagboard (:

Well, I don't know what to write for the first post either, so that's it!

Clear skies,
Anne (: