Introduction and Monthly Reminders
July has been hot, with nearly every day under a heat advisory over much of, if not all of, Utah. From the end of June until the second week of July, I have attempted to take at least one of my telescopes out for a night under the stars. It seemed like every weekend the clouds would roll in, but on the 11th, I was finally able to take out my new telescope. I have only used it on one other occasion with decent results, even though I had a limited selection of eyepieces. On the 11th, I had my full arsenal, but I only used two different eyepieces, which were not included with my scope. After a brief setup and quick two-star alignment, I was able to view a few objects. Most notable were Venus, the double star Alberio, and the great globular cluster in Hercules, M13. The views were pretty good, but, of course, could have been better if I had been at a dark-sky location and the seeing had been better. Overall, I was very pleased and am very excited to take it out again soon.
During the remainder of the month, observers still have the chance to follow the Moon as it changes phase in our sky and enjoy the Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower. Aside from this, the Milky Way core will be visible until fall, along with many DSOs in the summer night sky.
250 Years of American Astronomy
When the United States of America became its own country in 1776, only six planets were known to exist: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Astronomy was used for basic navigation, land surveying, and as a timekeeper for the year during this era. Other galaxies, black holes, exoplanets, and star formation, among other things, were also not yet known at this time.
The United States oldest operational research-focused observatory, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, was founded in 1890. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, is the first observatory founded with the primary intention of pure astronomical research. Of course, this observatory is famous for the discovery of Pluto in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh.
Seven years before the discovery of Pluto, Edwin Hubble discovered that the Andromeda Nebula was really a separate galaxy from the Milky Way. This was accomplished by using the 100-inch Hooker Telescope and 200-inch Hale Telescope at the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories. This also helped define the expanding universe.
Edwin Hubble's and other astronomers' discoveries around this time helped push for the need for a space-based observatory. It wasn't until 1990 that the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, enabling many more discoveries about the universe. This paved the way for larger ground-based observatories, such as those in Chile and China, and for other space-based observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
The birth of our great nation may feel like a long time ago, especially for the younger generations. Remember, kids, in 1776, there were no cars, telephones, the internet, or cellphones. But 250 years is just a quick blink of an eye compared to the age of the universe and even our tiny planet. The bright star Spica, which can be found by following the curve of the Big Dipper's handle, lies about 250 light-years from Earth. The light we are seeing from Spica today is the light that left this star in 1776, while the Declaration of Independence was being signed.
The world has changed quite a bit in the last 250 years. Imagine what the next 250 years will bring!
Show that you support dark skies, like me, by being one of the first Utahns to get a Dark Sky license plate! Visit Dark Sky Utah to apply for a new license plate for your vehicle.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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