OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT March 25, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Observatory.Tags: Eastern Illinois University, EIU, Observatory, open house
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OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT starting at 8:00 PM
EIU Observatory
NEW PODCAST:Galaxy Zoo 2 – Do Bars Kill Spirals? March 21, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Galaxy, Podcast.Tags: Galaxy, Galaxy Zoo, Podcast
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http://365daysofastronomy.org/2011/03/21/march-21st-galaxy-zoo-2-do-bars-kill-spirals/
Description: Chris and Karen discuss the first results from Galaxy Zoo 2 classifications, which looks at the types of spiral galaxies that host bars and what that might mean for their future.
Bios: Chris and Karen are English astronomers invoved in Galaxy Zoo.
Chris Lintott is a researcher who is involved in a number of popular science projects aimed at bringing astronomical science to a wider audience. He is the co-presenter of Patrick Moore’s BBC series “The Sky at Night” and a co-author of the book Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe with Patrick Moore and Queen guitarist Brian May. He is one of the principal investigators for the Galaxy Zoo project, and runs Zooniverse projects which allow you to help scientists explore the Universe. Chris is now the Director of Citizen Science Initiatives at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
Karen Masters is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Research Fellow at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and the University of Portsmouth, UK (and SEPnet; www.sepnet.ac.uk). She has been involved in Galaxy Zoo since 2008 and has spent most of her time producing scientific research from the classifications, but also contributes to the Galaxy Zoo Blog (http://blogs.zooniverse.org/galaxyzoo/author/karen). She is also the Public Engagement Co-ordinator for the LOFAR-UK (www.lofar-uk.org) project — the UK contribution to the next generation radio telescope, LOFAR (www.lofar.org).
Today’s sponsor: This episode of “365 Days of Astronomy” is sponsored by the Physics Department at Eastern Illinois University: “Caring faculty guiding students through teaching and research” at www.eiu.edu/~physics/
Happy Vernal Equinox March 20, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy.Tags: equinox
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SUNSET DUE WEST in Charleston Illinois
Today, at 23:21 UT (18:21 p.m. Eastern US time), the Sun’s odometer resets, and it once again finds itself at the celestial coordinates of 0h0m0s Right Ascension, 0°0m0s declination. Or, in other words, it’s the vernal equinox!
More on this at the BAD ASTRONOMERS BLOG .
But one more event today! One of my physics/astro students, Tyler L. , has a birthday today…So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER.
New NEO Discovered From ARI, Charleston, IL. March 6, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Asteroids.Tags: 2011 EB7, ARI, Asteroid, Astronomical Research Institute, Eastern Illinois University, NEO
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2011 EB7 Credit JPL and J Conwell
NEO 2011 EB7 discovered on March 2, by Astronomical Research Institute (ARI), in Charleston Illinois, is an AMOR Near Earth Object (NEO). AMOR’s are Earth-approaching NEAs with orbits exterior to Earth’s, but interior to Mars’ orbit, named after asteroid Amor 1221.Robert Holmes, director of ARI, is an adjunct professor in the physics department at Eastern Illinois university.
2011 EB7 is currently 0.5 AU away from Earth. It also has a predicted orbital period of 2.42 years. The closest point of 2011 EB7 orbit is 0.16AU to Earth’s orbit. For more detailed information go to the JPL site:
Astronomy Club Meeting Wednesday! March 1, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy, stars.Tags: Eastern Illinois University, EIU, stars
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“The Life and Death of Stars.”
by Bob Gacki
March 2 at the Physical Science Building
Room 2153 at 8:00PM.
EIU Astro 