February, 2016 (Issue No. 139)

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February 2016 First Light Newsletter

The Loneliest Galaxy in the Universeby Ethan Siegel

Space Place Feature article

Our greatest, largest-scale surveys of the universe have given us an unprecedented view of cosmic structureextending for tens of billions of light years. With the combined effects of normal matter, dark matter, darkenergy, neutrinos and radiation all affecting how matter clumps, collapses and separates over time, the greatcosmic web we see is in tremendous agreement with our best theories: the Big Bang and General Relativity.Yet this understanding was only possible because of the pioneering work of Edwin Hubble, who identified alarge number of galaxies outside of our own, correctly measured their distance (following the work of VestoSlipher's work measuring their redshifts), and discovered the expanding universe.

But what if the Milky Way weren't located in one of the "strands" of the great cosmic web, where galaxies areplentiful and ubiquitous in many different directions? What if, instead, we were located in one of the great"voids" separating the vast majority of galaxies? It would've taken telescopes and imaging technology far moreadvanced than Hubble had at his disposal to even detect a single galaxy beyond our own, much less dozens,hundreds or millions, like we have today. While the nearest galaxies to us are only a few million light yearsdistant, there are voids so large that a galaxy located at the center of one might not see another for a hundredtimes that distance.

While we've readily learned about our place in the universe from observing what's around us, not everyone isas fortunate. In particular, the galaxy MCG+01-02-015 has not a single known galaxy around it for a hundredmillion light years in all directions. Were you to draw a sphere around the Milky Way with a radius of 100 millionlight years, we'd find hundreds of thousands of galaxies. But not MCG+01-02-015; it's the loneliest galaxy everdiscovered. Our Milky Way, like most galaxies, has been built up by mergers and accretions of many othergalaxies over billions of years, having acquired stars and gas from a slew of our former neighbors. But anisolated galaxy like this one has only the matter it was born with to call its own.

Edwin Hubble made his universe-changing discovery using telescope technology from 1917, yet he would havefound absolutely zero other galaxies at all were we situated at MCG+01-02-015's location. The first visiblegalaxy wouldn't have shown up until we had 1960s-level technology, and who knows if we'd have continuedlooking? If we were such a lonely galaxy, would we have given up the search, and concluded that our galaxyencompassed all of existence? Or would we have continued peering deeper into the void, eventuallydiscovering our unusual location in a vast, expanding universe? For the inhabitants of the loneliest galaxy, wecan only hope that they didn't give up the search, and discovered the entire universe.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA and N. Gorin (STScI); Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt, of the loneliestvoid galaxy in the known: MCG+01-02-015.

Newberry Star Parkby Andy Howell

The past month has been quite slow because of unfavorable observingweather and freezing temperatures. The January star party & outreachwas canceled because of bad weather.

The biggest excitement of the month was the daytime fireball thatoccurred January 24 at approximately 10:24am EST. The AmericanMeteor Society received 120 reports from eyewitnesses throughoutFlorida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. OurMallincam all-sky camera at NSP, which operates 24/7 was streaming liveto our web site. Undoubtedly, anyone watching the live feed would have

seen the fireball. Unfortunately, the camera was not recording to the hard drive, and we have no record of it.(This has since been remedied, and the camera is now recording to the hard drive in case another spectacularevent like this happens again.)

The two north-facing security cameras operated by Easton Foundation at the main Easton-Newberry SportsComplex were our next best hope for having recorded the event. Unfortunately, there was a 30 minute gapcentered on the event time! Extensive outreach to other organizations in north Florida have failed to turn up avideo of this daytime fireball.

The fireball entered earth's atmosphere in Baker County, about 15 miles northeast of Big Shoals State Park.Doppler radar in Jacksonville received echoes from the meteor, suggesting that it dropped meteorites. Readmore about the major daytime fireball at the web site of the American Meteor Society.

http://www.amsmeteors.org/members/imo_view/event/2016/266

Star Parties

by Lisa Egar and Ivo Rabell

Stargazing at Paynes Prairie Rescheduled for March 12, 2016

Originally scheduled for Saturday, February 6, the was canceled due to rain and clouds. Hickory Ranch isrescheduled for March 12.

Hickory Ranch is one of the premiere events of the year, with nearly 1,000 friends and guests of Paynes Prairieexpected to be lining up through Alachua Astronomy Club telescopes.

Read more about the event at the Friends of Paynes Prairie web site.

If you haven't registered for the event, please do so HERE. Bring a sandwich, and bring your telescope! Thereis no cost for AAC volunteers!

Schools and Outreachby Mike Toomey

Our next evening school star party will be at a Gainesville elementary school on Wednesday, February 17. (Please register online or contact me for the exact location.) We expect about 80 students along with parentsand siblings. The event will begin shortly after sunset (6:20pm). The 9 day old moon will already be high

above for immediate viewing.

On Saturday, February 27, we return to St. Madeleine's Parish near High Springs. We may have as many as 100 visitors to this event. The official start time forstargazing is 6:45pm; however, club members are encouraged to arrive early toenjoy St. Madeleine's hospitality (yet to be announced but usually involves freefood!)

On Tuesday, March 1, we need some telescope operators to attend a Levy Countyelementary school. We expect about 60 students to this one. The event will beginshortly after sunset. Since there will be no moon and Jupiter will not be at a usefulelevation until the end of the program, bring your sky atlas to help you track downa star cluster or favorite binary star. The Orion Nebula and a few other “fuzzies”will also be easy to find without the moon's interference. [Please note, the club'splanning meeting will be rescheduled to facilitate this event.]

On Tuesday, January 19, Andy Howell and I attended the after-school 4th grade class at Caring & Sharing. The sun was inactive so we focused on indoor activities such as crossword puzzles and meteor/meteoritepresentations. The students were well-behaved, as they typically are at C&S. The hour flew by thanks to allthe student questions. The next after-school program will be March 16.

Remember, you do not need to be an expert in astronomy to be an outreach volunteer. You do not even needto own a telescope! You can shadow current volunteers at events, ask our Sky Mentor Bill Helms or othermembers for one-on-one assistance with your telescope, or be brought up to speed with one of several club-owned telescopes. Binoculars are also excellent astronomical instruments that can be hand-held or tripod-mounted.

Mike Toomey has served the AAC in many capacities since 1998, including President, Secretary, FirstLightEditor, Star Party Coordinator and School Outreach Coordinator. Mike resides in Gainesville.

MeetingsAAC Public Meeting (past event)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 from 7-9 p.m.

Florida Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of Florida Cultural Plaza

3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32611-2710

SpeakerChap Percival, Astronomy Educator, Sarasota

If you missed this meeting, you missed a real treat. Chap Percival is traveling the country to promotethe August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse with the message "Go See the Eclipse! (And Take a Kid WithYou)." Chap lives in Sarasota and is a lifelong educator, having taught astronomy since 1995 at PineView School in Osprey, Florida. Along with wife Bonnie, Chap brought along a multitude of formerstudents who now attend the University of Florida. Photo shows Chap Percival with five formerstudents who are beaming for the camera.

New Members since November 1!

Linda AndiricJonathan Bear

Cindy DalyWilliam ElliottBasset Giles

William (Bill) HenslerAnkur Jain

Marianne McKenzieJessica McLeod

Phil & Sherrie Nolden

Carlton & Leslie OglesbyBurton (Pat) Patterson & Lena Buysse

Del Schier

PresidentAndy Howell

First Light EditorLaura Wright

Ivo Rabell, the heart and soul of ourclub, is recovering from a seriousmedical emergency in early January. After a month of rehabilitation, Ivo isback home with wife Patrice and familygiving loving support.

Let me say that Ivo is an inspiration and a life lesson toall of us about the difference that positive outlook canhave. Most of us might have been discouraged andgiven up, but Ivo was determined to get back on hisfeet. Through hard work and determination, he hasdone so!

The same determination and gusto we've all seen Ivodemonstrate in observing deep-sky fuzzies alsocharacterizes his optimisitic attitude towards work,family, and love of learning.

The day before his release from UF Shands RehabHospital, I took this photo of Ivo with another patient.Patient M. (left) recounted what an inspiration Ivo wasto her. It's a lovely photo, and I was moved to tears bythis moment.

Ivo with friend (left) and wife Patrice.

Ivo, all of us in Alachua Astronomy Club look forwardto your getting back to observing as soon as possible!It isn't the same without you at Newberry Star Park.

Happy Valentine's Day! Each and every of our 150members make Alachua Astronomy Club a very

Comets are the subject of the CometObservers Program of theAstronomical League.

According to the website "there are,perhaps, no more wondrous andbeautiful objects as comets and they

have been known since antiquity. Since theinvention of the telescope hundreds of years ago,astronomers have continually searched for newcomets and have discovered nebulas, star clusters,galaxies and more in the process". "Chineserecords of Comet Halley go back to 240 BC. s of1995, 878 comets have been cateloged and theirorbits at least roughly calculated".

Some fun facts from the website: "Comets aresometimes called dirty snowballs. They are amixture of ices, both water and frozen gases, anddust that for some reason did not get incorporatedinto planets when the solar system was formed.They are samples of the early history of the solarsystem". "Comets are invisible, and not active,except when they are near the Sun. Comets haveseveral distinct parts: neucleus, coma, dust tail andion tail".

The observing program overview lists two differentlevels of observation. The Silver Level - observe atleast 12 different comets and the Gold Level -observe at least 18 additional comets. Observationsmay be made visually and hand sketched or byimaging the comet.

Go to their website to learn morewww.astroleague.org

Best regards, Laura

special place!

The Night Sky this Month

from seasky.org

February 7 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatestwestern elongation of 25.6 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since itwill be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in theeastern sky just before sunrise.February 8 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun andwill not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 14:39 UTC. This is the best time of themonth to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlightto interfere.

February 22 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sunand its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 18:20 UTC. This full moon wasknown by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because the heaviest snowsusually fell during this time of the year. Since hunting is difficult, this moon has also been knownby some tribes as the Full Hunger Moon, since the harsh weather made hunting difficult.

March 8 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and itsface will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and willbe visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. Amedium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloudbands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearingas bright dots on either side of the planet.

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