pa-oct99

Popular Astronomy: Britain's brightest astronomy magazine Editor: Peter Grego Regulars: AstroNews by ALAN LONGSTAFF / Amateur Scene by PETER WADE / Space Exploration by ANDY SALMON / Deep Sky Notes by DAVE FLETCHER / Season's Stars / Sky Diary by DARREN BUSHNALL / Letters / The Society Page / Meeting Report by LEE MACDONALD/ Society Notices / Reviews / Glorious Universe / My Kind of Astronomy / Constellation of the Season / Competitions Features: Articles on astronomy and space written by experts

The quarterly magazine of

Britain's Society for Popular Astronomy

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October 2000

In this issue, IAN BIRRELL casts an artistic eye over the autumn and winter constellations and links the mythology of the heavens with astronomical fact using some beautiful prose reminiscent of the 19th century French astronomy writer Camille Flammarion. KEITH STEVENSON, Editor of the Herschel Astronomical Society Journal Urania, explains how to distinguish the stars from the planets and predict their observability using a little basic mathematics. This year’s Fred Best Award winner MICHAEL CLARKE examines the state of early 21st century astronomy and the work capable of being done by today’s amateur astronomer. Longstanding SPA member and Council Officer FRANK TOBIN discusses the history of those elusive subatomic particles called neutrinos, so important to our understanding of astrophysics. In their book Rare Earth, scientists PETER WARD and DONALD BROWNLEE claim that complex animal life is much rarer in the Universe than mainstream scientific thought would have us believe—species as intelligent as humans might be a cosmic fluke, perhaps even unique in the Universe. SPA Deep Sky Section Director DARREN BUSHNALL explores his favourite examples of double stars—one of the deep sky’s best kept secrets. SPA spaceflight expert and founder of the Midlands Spaceflight Society ANDY SALMON reviews the first 100 flights of the Space Shuttle—a historic period of almost two decades that saw some great highs and desperate lows. In a new feature, My Kind of Astronomy, I will be turning the spotlight on some of the SPA’s members. This month we look at the astronomical life and loves of SPA Vice President ROBIN SCAGELL, bringing to light some rare little wingless beetles that glow in the dark.

Cover image: The Trapezium cluster of stars lies at the heart of the Orion Nebula (STScI/NASA)

Spectrum - Keeping PA bright by PETER GREGO.

Focus - Comets do the strangest things.

Stars of the fall and frost - IAN BIRRELL contemplates the autumn skies, entwining the fantastic mythology of the constellations with their visual splendours.

Identifying the planets - Can you tell the difference between a star and a planet? KEITH STEVENSON explains how to recognise planets and predict their visibility using basic mathematics.

The modern stargazer - MICHAEL CLARKE takes a positive view of the state of amateur astronomy in the early 21st century and examines the role of astronomical societies.

Amateur Scene - Around the local astronomical societies with PETER WADE.

The little neutral one - Tiny subatomic particles called neutrinos have long been the subject of hot debate among solar physicists and cosmologists. FRANK TOBIN investigates.

Rare Earth - PETER WARD and DONALD BROWNLEE claim that complex life is uncommon in the Universe, and life forms as advanced as humans are a cosmic fluke.

My Kind of Astronomy - Spotlight on SPA Vice-President ROBIN SCAGELL.

Double delights - Double stars are among the most visually stunning deep sky objects, and many beautiful examples are within the amateur's grasp, writes DARREN BUSHNALL.

The Space Shuttle's first century - Spaceflight expert ANDY SALMON looks back at the Space Shuttle program and recounts his favourirte highlights from 100 Shuttle missions.

Space Exploration - Popular Astronomy's spaceflight expert ANDY SALMON reviews events in space.

The Society Page - SPA Meeting Report of 29 July 2000 by LEE MACDONALD.

Deep Sky Notes - Surveying the autumn constellations with DAVE FLETCHER.

Reviews - Rare Earth / Observing the Moon / Atlas of the Lunar Terminator / Window on the UK / The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium / A Touch of Poetry

Autumn Stars - The night sky for October, November and December 2000

Constellation Close-up - Triangulum

Sky Diary - DARREN BUSHNALL'S timetable of celestial events.

Glorious Universe - NGC 6751, Planetary nebula in Aquila

October 2000 In this issue, IAN BIRRELL casts an artistic eye over the autumn and winter constellations and links the mythology of the heavens with astronomical fact using some beautiful prose reminiscent of the 19th century French astronomy writer Camille Flammarion. KEITH STEVENSON, Editor of the Herschel Astronomical Society Journal Urania, explains how to distinguish the stars from the planets and predict their observability using a little basic mathematics. This year’s Fred Best Award winner MICHAEL CLARKE examines the state of early 21st century astronomy and the work capable of being done by today’s amateur astronomer. Longstanding SPA member and Council Officer FRANK TOBIN discusses the history of those elusive subatomic particles called neutrinos, so important to our understanding of astrophysics. In their book Rare Earth, scientists PETER WARD and DONALD BROWNLEE claim that complex animal life is much rarer in the Universe than mainstream scientific thought would have us believe—species as intelligent as humans might be a cosmic fluke, perhaps even unique in the Universe. SPA Deep Sky Section Director DARREN BUSHNALL explores his favourite examples of double stars—one of the deep sky’s best kept secrets. SPA spaceflight expert and founder of the Midlands Spaceflight Society ANDY SALMON reviews the first 100 flights of the Space Shuttle—a historic period of almost two decades that saw some great highs and desperate lows. In a new feature, My Kind of Astronomy, I will be turning the spotlight on some of the SPA’s members. This month we look at the astronomical life and loves of SPA Vice President ROBIN SCAGELL, bringing to light some rare little wingless beetles that glow in the dark.	Cover image: The Trapezium cluster of stars lies at the heart of the Orion Nebula (STScI/NASA)
Spectrum - Keeping PA bright by PETER GREGO.
Focus - Comets do the strangest things.
Stars of the fall and frost - IAN BIRRELL contemplates the autumn skies, entwining the fantastic mythology of the constellations with their visual splendours.
Identifying the planets - Can you tell the difference between a star and a planet? KEITH STEVENSON explains how to recognise planets and predict their visibility using basic mathematics.
The modern stargazer - MICHAEL CLARKE takes a positive view of the state of amateur astronomy in the early 21st century and examines the role of astronomical societies.
Amateur Scene - Around the local astronomical societies with PETER WADE.
The little neutral one - Tiny subatomic particles called neutrinos have long been the subject of hot debate among solar physicists and cosmologists. FRANK TOBIN investigates.
Rare Earth - PETER WARD and DONALD BROWNLEE claim that complex life is uncommon in the Universe, and life forms as advanced as humans are a cosmic fluke.
My Kind of Astronomy - Spotlight on SPA Vice-President ROBIN SCAGELL.
Double delights - Double stars are among the most visually stunning deep sky objects, and many beautiful examples are within the amateur's grasp, writes DARREN BUSHNALL.
The Space Shuttle's first century - Spaceflight expert ANDY SALMON looks back at the Space Shuttle program and recounts his favourirte highlights from 100 Shuttle missions.
Space Exploration - Popular Astronomy's spaceflight expert ANDY SALMON reviews events in space.
The Society Page - SPA Meeting Report of 29 July 2000 by LEE MACDONALD.
Deep Sky Notes - Surveying the autumn constellations with DAVE FLETCHER.
Reviews - Rare Earth / Observing the Moon / Atlas of the Lunar Terminator / Window on the UK / The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium / A Touch of Poetry
Autumn Stars - The night sky for October, November and December 2000 Constellation Close-up - Triangulum
Sky Diary - DARREN BUSHNALL'S timetable of celestial events.
Glorious Universe - NGC 6751, Planetary nebula in Aquila