Bukit Panjang Science Team - Astronomy

2011-01-21T21:55:00.000-08:00

.....a dead blog

2010-08-20T23:52:00.001-07:00

woohoo. this blog is dead! awesomness. -,-

2010-03-16T07:28:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, 19th March, Friday, anyone interested in a BPAstro outing? Like you know, play some cards, mahjong, basketball, etc. Most likely go cheng wee's house.If you are interested, meet at CCk at 10am. Cheng wee is organising this so if you are interested, go find him

2010-03-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

NYP 2010 is on this friday! Good Luck to all participating members!

2010-02-08T03:11:00.001-08:00

Simpe Astronomy Topics: Constellations and the Zodiac. Asterisms.
The Solar System: The Sun and Planets. Life cycles of stars. Neutron Stars.
Deep sKy Objects: NEbulae, Star Clusters, Galaxies, Black Holes, Quasars
Secondary School Mathematics related to physics and astronomy, e.g. simple trigo (logarithms, parallax and parsec)
Simple Einstein Special Relativity including time dilation, length contraction, velocity addition and simple conceptual ideas on General Relativity (no calculations)

some of the stuff for nyp.

2010-02-03T05:14:00.000-08:00

NYP quiz on MARCH 12 .
jiayou.. and welcome anyone to support us. lol..

2010-01-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps,
woonkiat here. and good news! planning to have a stargazing session on friday!
29th jan. why? cos its rongen bday..

...
....
lol. jkjk. its actually mars' opposition.
so alumni's and whoever, feel free to join us.
think we should be starting arnd 6.30?
aims to see the polar ice caps.
hahahhaa, hopefully bahs.

byes.

Partial Solar Eclipse

2010-01-07T02:50:00.000-08:00

Hiies everyone! :D I found this poster about a partial solar eclipse on the 15/1/2010. The event is organised by SSC, so you all can click the link to see the poster. I think even if you don't have Facebook, you should be able to see the poster. ^^

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635234&id=122610304898

2010

2009-12-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!!! :D :D :D I'm back to say Happy New Year! ^^ All the best in the Year of the Tiger (ah, Mr Tan H S) and jia youus in your studies and may BPAstro rise to greater heights. :D

Regards,

It's December!

2009-12-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Haha! I'm a faithful peep, cos I still come back and look at this blog and what more, I still post something here and make attempts to liven this web log. LOL! XD

Ah, it's December already, 2/12/2009 to be exact. Christmas is just round the corner in just 23 DAYS! :D "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la..." Are you all excited about X'mas? :D I heard that Christmas is about giving to the others to share love and warmth between one another, is that true? Haha. =)

In a twinkling of an eye, Year 2009 is coming to an end! Oh my my. How time flies. >< The current Sec 1s of 2009 will be "kor-kor" and "jie-jie" for the young budding astronomers who will be joining BPAstro in 2010; the current Sec 2s will embark on a tough journey in upper secondary (it depends, really) while the current Sec 3s will be going on a downhill roller-coaster ride in Sec 4 that has infinite terminal velocity (lol, I'm kidding) and soon, for the Sec 4s in 2010, you will realise that the word 'homework' will disappear for ~2.5months and gone will be the days when you lament that the teachers give so much homework as to ruin your holiday, but instead, you will complain about the pain of emptiness and rotting the days away with nothing to do at hand. (so, quickly go get a job! Hahas. XD)

There is this Chinese saying that goes "经一事，长一智", which means to say that as time goes by, one's wisdom will grow too. I hope that will also apply for BPAstro and I'm sure the upcoming and future generations of leaders to come will propel BPAstro to greater heights just like in this crappy graph that I've drawn: LOL. This graph is super duper crappish. xD I hope I didn't offend anyone by doing this. Hahas. Apologies if I did and I will take it down immediately when requested. :X Kayys, I have to go and do my stuff, so bye everyone! :D A word of caution though, please do not use the kind of graph as shown above and submit to your teachers for SPA-Practice cos you will surely get a big fat zero on your graph paper and your teacher will give you a dressing down for it. LOL. XD Kayys, byes! ^^

Regards,

ME, "Mistake Edition"

2009-11-27T23:03:00.001-08:00

yo faithful peeps who still check out this dead blog,
thanks !
lol. anw, for leonids, we saw some 2 dozens over meteors
and those who missed it, check out geminids.
heard that it is one of the most promising meteor shower.
yup, 13 14 dec. check it out

Milky Way

2009-11-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hiies! I hope everyone's fine. Haha. [: Hmm... for those who are interested in the Milky Way, this astrophotographer actually put together a mosaic of 3000 individual frames to form this superb image of the Milky Way. Crisp and clear. Well, it also shows his professionalism and resilence. lol.

Here's the web:
http://home.arcor.de/axel.mellinger/

I hope you all like it. ^^

Regards,
Weide

My first mini-post

2009-10-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hiies everyone! ^^ Wow! I didn't know that after 2+ years, this blog's access pass is still unchanged! Hahas. Ah, typing in the passkey reminds me of a teacher in BPGHS and also my darling seniors (and also my dar dar juniors too!! ^^) but sadly, he has since left the BP-ian family. :(

I hope I ain't 'hacking' into this blog because I have no 'official' admin privileges to post here. LOL. Oh ya, do you know who I am? XD Hehe. Anyways, I have to study now, and before I go, though it may be a little late... but nevertheless, jia youus for the EOYs and make it to your dream classes, especially for the Sec 2s. :D Oh, and please don't change the blog's access pass! Thanks. xD

Regards,
One of BPAstro's "dar dar" seniors. Oopsy. :X

2009-09-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah.... I think we should allow more ppl to post too. Like that then there will be more post and we can have a more livelier blog. OH and i just realise the new astro blog is more dead than this one. LOL

Johann

2009-09-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

okay. i just added zhiqi.
anyone else wanna be an author?
leave a tag with your email
thanks.
johann is also granted admin privelges
so who wan can ask johann give also.
woon here signing off.

2009-08-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

hey peeps!
tmr we are gonna rock east coast park
get your energy ready!
meeting at 4 at lot one! be on time!
though i may not be. lol lol

first ever astro outing for many of you.. maybe for me even.
so lets have fun!!!

2009-08-23T02:18:00.000-07:00

hmmm, what shall we do on wednesday?
for those still interested in lord martin ree's talk on 2050
please go and look at your astro news letter and sign up your self... cos you must do your self
its on thurs.
and really if you can make it just go,,
he is probably the most important figure in astronomy to ever stop on our shores,
that is of course b4 silas make it big and come up with his own silas theory,
than we will all hail silas already..
lols!

so keep your self going.. look forward to a great year ahead. by working hard now...

2009-08-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

hey hey..
we must come up with sth to get this blog going

maybe some BP astro blog stimulus plan! lols

so any ideas?
hehe. really it wld be fun.
more common identity and common space. lols.
jia you.

~chaos

2009-06-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all!!! Here's another awesome Pic.....

Find yourself in this small pic if you can. LOLs

Johann

2009-06-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

LOL

hi guys! let the picture do the talking. lol. and sorry hannah..

i am not allowed to it anymore.. somebody angry le. hahas

lol. thx to johann for sending me the pic.. i saw it on astro challenge website too. lols.
didnt know i was so spastic.
anw.. i will soon post your astro schedule for the next 6months soon.
it will be fun! lols

2009-05-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

hmmm, can some one post about the ppl who are listed for nus ntu?
and btw, everyone shld get a facebook acc and play who has the biggest brain
can help to improve your speed. so that we dont get trashed in speed round in future!
lol. anw, just try it. its really good!

2009-05-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

hello everyone..
javier says that because of me, he and wynnette's relationship become very distance..
i think i probably made things awkward for them..
so today i am gonna clear things up. hehe
*giggles.

erm.. JAVIER OFFICIALLY, DOES NOT FEEL ANTH FOR WYNNETTE.

hahas.. but i got some evidence.. who wants we can share!!! email me!
hush.. keep this among the few of us. :) i print screen le!
woots. lets wish quietly that their relatonship improve.

how come i feel like i making things worst?
lol.. i am really feeling damn mischevious. lol lol lol...

2009-05-15T03:16:00.000-07:00

hey guys.
a rocket is sent off.
to repair or modify the hubble telescope again.
read up more on that.
lol.

later comp come out current affairs this one.

and whats a cosplay? some one tell me?
cos its our nus ntu proj round...

2009-05-06T05:26:00.001-07:00

Haha...wohoo!!! Hi guys! I am finally an author of this blog...lol. Hmm...but what's the use?Nothing to blog here also. Other than Woon Kiat, no one really put any stuff up. And this post is also quite useless also. Oh yeah...pls, i dont do nc16 stuff and Woon Kiat, did you tell me i cannot write about them? Cause i didnt see it. LOL

Johann

2009-05-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

lol. i just made johann an author,
anyone else?
and i told him.. no nc 16 and above things..hahas.

anw, all the best for MYE

2009-04-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

hey YO..
who wants to be author of this blog pls email me.
Lnfinitechaos@hotmail.com

hahas. kays.. Astrigue.
i wld say didnt do well at all.. especially in the finals.
but it is totally alright.. cos we were all glad to at least get into finals.

and there was two surprise award.
so it aint that bad afterall. just that we need to work harder.
but all talk and no work is useless.. so i am gonna wiki some astro now.

hahas. bye bye. and lastly,
thanks to all alumni who turned up for astigue.
deeply appreciated.

~ woonkiat

2009-04-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

hahas. let me dedicate this post to hannah
lol. anw. bp astro blog no publicity de.
i mean also nobody come read cos nobody post.
but seriously.. what shall we post abt?

astrigue is coming in some 10 days or so?
no.. i think 8 days.
so we are gonna go to hwa chong then on 25th go to RJc.

this year's proj round quite interesting.
say wad got asteroid striking earth on 25th,
then wad shall we do to prevent it. not bad.

but like damn tough. nvm. try our best.

woonkiat signing off.

Jocelyn Bell's talk

2009-01-24T21:50:00.001-08:00

28/02/2009

Rhapsody on an Equatorial Evening
Free Admission
No Max Capacity for main Session 7.30pm - 12am
Capacity for pre-event talk in LT27 for Prof J. Bell's Lecture is 600 seats

First 20 registrants for the main star gazing session will receive a free gift!

In conjunction with the NUS Faculty of Science 80th Anniversary and The International Year of Astronomy 2009, enjoy a one-night-only stargazing evening. Open the Jewel Box of the Southern Cross and journey along our Milky Way. Look Taurus in the eye and marvel at the beautiful Pleiades and Orion Nebulae. Survey lunar craters to see if there really is a Man on the moon. Learn about astronomy from our friendly experts and listen to starry legends from Greek, Indian and Chinese mythologies. Amid the serendipity of the activities, pen your own poem and stand to win attractive prizes!

There will be a pre-event talk by world-renowned physicist Professor Jocelyn Bell at 6pm at LT27.

The above is an extract from: http://www.nipunaperera.com/naf09/other_event.php?o_id=6 For more information, please go to the above website. Thank you.

ATTENTION!

2009-01-23T03:41:00.001-08:00

7/2/2009

Activity: Valentine\'s Day Star Party
Time: 7.00pm to 11.00pm
Venue: East Coast Park Bougainvillea Gardens

Open for:
CIP activity. CIP hours will be dished out. Anyone wants to volunteer themselves? Volunteering activities will comprise basically of ushering and logistics. Volunteers may be able to stay overnight and \'camp\' at the East Coast Park till the next morning.

Reply by this Saturday or Sunday (latest).

20/2/2009 - 22/02/2009

Activity: Camp for Warriors
Time: Overnight activity
Venue: Ngee Ann Primary School (East)

Who is interested to participate in the camp?

All details can be found at http://mpastro.blogspot.com. Thanks.

Upon reply, I will ask Jin Peng for more details. Thanks.

The above message is intended for members of BPAstro only. If you are an alumni and want to join, feel free to do so. =) I want the reply to be in by this Saturday or Sunday aka before CNY. So please read and reply! Thanks. =)

Reply to my Facebook mail or hotmail or +6598872432. lee_wei_de@hotmail.com

Astro lecture by TASOs

2008-12-20T00:12:00.001-08:00

Members of BPAstro, please sms me on whether you are attending this event and pass around among yourselves. Thanks. My number is +6598872432. =) I want the people in by 22/12/2008. Thanks.

2008-12-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

hello this is woon kiat posting during my lunch break.
hahas. so i am official author now. yea!
silas was scared i may sab the blog... like i noe i am bad but not that bad rite?

anw, say hello to the new year soon. it will mean competitions which comes with a combo pakage of harsh training. so pls study up while you are free and be ready for any upcoming selection test.
though i dont really know the details.. since i will be taking the test as well, i cant say much.
all i know is there will be a selection test for upcoming competitions. so just be prepared yea?
especially those desperate to go for competitions, i think you guys can start mugging now le.

byes.

2008-11-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, AMP here.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the webcast will be postponed to some other day.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused

2008-11-03T14:34:00.001-08:00

Greetings again.

The BPGHS Astro Webcast can be accessed by this link http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bpghs-astro .

The next LIVE webcast will be held this Saturday, 8 Nov 2008 at 1.30 PM, Singapore Time.

Please RSVP (tell us whether you can make it or not) on the Cbox (tagboard). Thanks.

2008-11-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hey fellow BP Astronomers:

The results for the BP Astro Aptitude Test are up. Here are your results:

Name	Total (103)
Amanda Wong	13.5
Jia Chao	6.5
Joash Yeo	19
Johann Ko	39
Marcus Seng	2.5
Sravana Gokul	16
Tjai Kang Jie	51.5
Toh Wei Jie	36.5
Mhd Rahmat	12.5
Wynette Yip	-4
Adrita Manna	10
Javier Er	14
Lim Wei Hao	-8
Daniyal Hakim	22.5
Tay Woon Kiat	66.5

If you'd like a more in-depth analysis, you can download the Excel (.xls) file here.

Enjoy your holidays =)

Why do I even bother putting a title when it doesnt show up

2008-08-10T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, AMP here =)

Just for your information, the Singapore Art Museum and the Singapore Astronomy Society (SingAstro) will be collaborting to host an astrophotography exhibition on the 16th of August 2008.

An excerpt from an email received:

"On behalf of SINGASTRO, the largest online astronomy forum in Singapore, I am pleased to invite you to attend ASTRONOMY 2008 which is to be held at the Singapore Art Museum (The Glass Hall) in Singapore on the 16th of August, 2008 (Saturday). ASTRONOMY 2008 is a full-day astronomy event and open to public (free admission) from the hours of 10AM to 5PM. This event will feature a series of astronomy talks ranging from astrophysics theories to practical astronomy, and even an interactive workshop on astronomy imaging. There will also be poster exhibits that will enlighten attendees on astronomy topics such as the Solar System, to Deep Sky objects. The attendees will also be treated to a collection of original astronomy images captured by our local budding astrophotographers and around South East Asia. Other interesting activities include a documentary screening on cosmology, instant lucky draws, sun-gazing (viewing of the Sun with specialized telescope instruments in Hydrogen Alpha, expect to see flares and prominences on the sun!), the opportunity to view the largest private-based telescope in South East Asia (bigger than the one at the Science Center Observatory!), and many more!"

Further details will be released on the next Astronomy session. The decision on
whether to make it into a school event will also be made on that day. If it is a school
activity consent forms will be provided.

Look out for further updates! Updates will be made as i dig up more astronomy2008 related emails from my overflowing inbox (800+++ unread emails!!).

See ya!

AMP =)

Weide, head of Astro starting on Wednesday, practically.

2008-06-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, guys, as you all know, Weide is the head of Astro now.
Hope all of you will give him the support he needs on Wednesday because it will be the 1st time he will be conducting Astro as head. Turn up early and dont be late hor.

That is all I have to say. Bye Bye

Signing Off: Cheng Wee

2008-06-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

COMP TEAM MEMBERS- LOOK HERE.

Here's something to satisfy your curiosity.

Which Fruit best represents a supergiant?

a)Watermelon
b)Orange
c)Starfruit
d)Onion

"Unlike red giants, these red supergiants have enough mass to create greater gravitational pressure, and therefore higher core temperatures. They fuse helium into carbon, carbon and helium into oxygen, and two carbon atoms into magnesium. Through a combination of such processes, successively heavier elements, up to iron, are formed (see Table 1). Each successive process requires a higher temperature (up to 3.3 billion kelvins) and lasts for a shorter amount of time (as short as a few days). The structure of a red supergiant becomes like an onion (see Figure 3), with different elements being fused at different temperatures in layers around the core." -- http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/elements/imagine/05.html

Uh oh.

But wait a sec...

Onions aren't fruit!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion

"Onions, one of the oldest vegetables known to mankind, are found in a bewildering array of recipes and preparations, spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures; they are nowadays available in fresh, frozen, canned, pickled, and dehydrated forms."

Hope we all find some comfort in that.

This is AMP, signing out.

2008-06-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of announcements:

As usual there's good news and bad news. Good news first:

1. Weide has been promoted to Astro Head. All hail Weide, Long Live the Astro Head!

And now the bad news:
2. Astrochallenge reaches perihelion in TWO DAYS.

ohh wells

AMP, signing out.

2008-05-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Why is there a couple of "draft" posts here? And one of them is blank... o.O ... the other cut off halfway.

Anyway, I never heard of Magnetars until today, so I thought it will be useful for those of you who bother reading the chunk of... err.... "thing"... down there...... xP

taken from : http://www.thecheers.org/news/Science/news_25639_Astronomers-discover-giant-elliptical-ring-around-dead-star.html

Washington, May 29 : Astronomers have detected a giant elliptical ring around a rare star known as magnetar, a highly magnetized neutron star and the remnant of a brilliant supernova explosion signaling the death throes of a massive star.

Astronomers have detected a giant elliptical ring around a rare star known as magnetar, a highly magnetized neutron star and the remnant of a brilliant supernova explosion signaling the death throes of a massive star.

Magnetars are formed when a giant star ends its life in a supernova explosion, leaving behind a super dense neutron star with an incredibly strong magnetic field.

Stefanie Wachter, research scientist at NASA's Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, led the study, which links the origin of the magnetar to a nearby cluster of massive stars, whose light is dominated by two red supergiants at the center.

"Discovering the ring is groundbreaking because it discovers some other phenomenon associated with, and physically near, a magnetar," said Donald Figer, professor at Rochester Institute of Technology's Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science.

According to Figer, "Magnetars possess magnetic fields a million billion times stronger than the magnetic field of the Earth."

The magnetic field of a magnetar is one petagauss, while, in comparison, Earth's magnetic field strength registers at 0.5 gauss, the Sun at one gauss and a sunspot at about 1,000 gauss.

These extreme fields stretch the very fabric of matter, contorting atoms into thin cigar-shaped structures.

The stellar eruption may result from stress induced by the magnetic field dragging on the rapidly spinning star.

A fissure in the surface of the magnetar creates a "starquake," akin to earthquakes. The biggest variety of these eruptions can temporarily produce over a thousand times more energy than all of the stars in a galaxy.

The ring seen by Spitzer could not have formed during the original explosion, as any material as close to the star as the ring would have been disrupted by the supernova shock wave.

Scientists suspect that the ring my actually be the edges of a bubble that was hollowed out by an explosive burst from the magnetar in 1998.

"We think that the ring was created when a giant flare from the SGR (soft gamma repeater) carved a cavity into the dusty environment surrounding the magnetar, thus naturally explaining why the ring is centered on the magnetar," said Wachter. (ANI)

BTW, what do you guys use to find astro news? I use http://dailyastronomy.com which lists links of astro-related news/posts (although sometimes it have nothing to do with astro) which are posted recently in other websites (most of the time it have links to posts/news that is posted on the day you check...)

Anyway, I'm off...

-Jiale/Jade Login Out-

A google for "Edrei Chua" found this...

2008-05-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

A google for "Edrei Chua" found this.
19 May 2008

Before I start, I would like to remind each and every one of us that the verb is "google" not "oogle". So please, no weird ideas. Thanks ;)

http://www.ibuzz.nyp.edu.sg/subcampus_astrocomp_14Mar08.htm

For two hours, 32 Secondary School students pondered over a written test on physics, maths and the stars. In a separate lecture theatre, over 180 students ploughed through 60 multiple-choice questions. Apart from theories and calculations, their creativity was also tested when they had to draw an asterism by connecting a group of stars to produce the most creative pattern. Welcome to the NYP Astronomy Competition!

Into its 11th year, this prestigious competition, held on 14 March 2008, attracted over 210 participants from 25 Secondary Schools.

The highlight of the competition was when the top six teams were announced to battle it out on stage for the Top Team Prize. After three gruelling rounds of questions, the team from Bukit Panjang Government High (BPGH) School (left picture) emerged top, making the school an impressive seven-time winner of this prize!

The Best Astronomy Scorer Prize went to Edrei Chua (3rd from left), also from BPGH. What fascinated him about astronomy is the mystery of the unknown. “The universe is so big and there are still so many things that are not known, waiting to be discovered. This is what makes astronomy so exciting.”

(Nice quote, Edrei! (: )

Why was i looking away ): ...

That's all for today! Hopefully we'll get the same prize for NUS-NTU!

NUS-NTU project round

2008-05-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest update for NUS-NTU project round. Details for the other rounds had been sent to your emails by the organising committee (i think so).

Appendix III
Astrochallenge 2008

Project Round Information Sheet and Declaration Form

100 years ago, walking on the moon was only a dream. Around 40 years ago, the dream became reality; the first human beings stepped on the moon. What’s next after the moon? Until now, the moon still remains the furthest place humans have gone.

The harsh conditions and environment of space makes it very hard for humans to venture into space. For this round, you are to design and create a wearable spacesuit model. You can decide on any context for its use, except that it cannot be used on the moon for moon walk or on the space shuttle. You may build the spacesuit for space walk in Mars, Venus, or any other harsh place in space. Your main considerations will be the conditions required for humans to survive and carry out work, e.g. temperature, air, communication systems, mobility, flexibility etc. Examples of materials(but not limited to) that can be used to build the spacesuit model are old T-shirts, cardboard boxes. Use your creativity and imagination. You will present the model to the judges and/or audience on 9th June 2007.

The spacesuit model must be worn by one of the participants during the presentation.
The model will be judged based on the following:
1) Feasibility of idea
2) Creativity
3) Aesthetics
4) Materials used (recycled materials preferred)
5) Presentation

You are to abide by the regulations as stated in Appendix II and every member of the team as well as the Teacher in-charge must sign the following declaration which must be brought together with the project on the day of the Project Round.

We, team _____ from _________________________________, declare that we have not:
1) exceeded 35 man hours in the construction of this project
2) exceeded S$50 in the total cost of the project
3) obtained assistance from a teacher, trainer or professional expert to construct the project
We understand that any contravention to the above regulations may result in a penalty and/or the disqualification of the project.

______________________________ _____________________________Signature of team members Name/Signature of Teacher I/C /Date

emmm.... guess we will be working on a hectic schedue since sec 4 will be invovle in ISP (bah... olevel is still our main priority). But nvm... no worries... project round is only 20%... still got the other rounds to help us out

guess is time to say goodbye to *BP*

pH 7

Astro news roundup!

2008-05-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

By AMP, yet again. This week:

Tiny Canadian satellite to hunt for asteroids that could hit Earth

Telescope is world's first to conduct search from space

Tom Spears, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Friday, May 02, 2008

Canada is preparing to launch the first space mission to search for asteroids between Earth and the sun -- the type of asteroid most likely to slam into our planet.

Fittingly for this country, the Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite is not a Hubble-sized monster. It's a 60-kilogram microsatellite, costing a mere $10 million (including the price tag for launch), yet able to deliver science results never seen before.

NEOSSat will search for asteroids that are closer to the sun than Earth. These are nearly impossible to see from our planet's surface -- there's too much atmosphere and sunshine -- but easier to spot from space.

The suitcase-sized satellite is expected to launch in two years.

(more info, go to http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=ce46dde6-b119-4e27-977e-828df7c91102 )

-------------------------------------------------------------

NASA Pushes Hubble Flight Back 4-5 Weeks

Posted on: Thursday, 1 May 2008, 14:40 CDT

NASA’s Hubble Repair Mission launch date is being pushed back due to unexpected problems getting a new external fuel tank ready for the Atlantis orbiter’s launch.

The flight was set for August 28, but NASA said it expects that date to slip by four to five weeks.

The repair flight is intended to provide upgrades for the Hubble Space Telescope, which should expand its time in space to at least 2013.

(http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1366115/nasa_pushes_hubble_flight_back_45_weeks/)

======================================
And since this is most probably the most interesting news this week, i have decided to copy the entire article here.

Astronomers Discover New Type Of Pulsating White Dwarf Star

ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) — University of Texas at Austin astronomers Michael H. Montgomery and Kurtis A. Williams, along with graduate student Steven DeGennaro, have predicted and confirmed the existence of a new type of variable star, with the help of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Called a "pulsating carbon white dwarf," this is the first new class of variable white dwarf star discovered in more than 25 years. Because the overwhelming majority of stars in the universe--including the sun--will end their lives as white dwarfs, studying the pulsations (i.e., variations in light output) of these newly discovered examples gives astronomers a window on an important end point in the lives of most stars.

A white dwarf star is the leftover remnant of a sun-like star that has burned all of the nuclear fuel in its core. It is extremely dense, packing half to 1.5 times the sun's mass into a volume about the size of Earth. Until recently, there were thought to be two main types of white dwarfs: those with an outer layer of hydrogen (about 80 percent of white dwarfs), and those with an outer layer of helium, whose hydrogen shells have somehow been stripped away (the other 20 percent).

Last year, University of Arizona astronomers Patrick Dufour and James Liebert discovered a third type of white dwarf star. For reasons that are not understood, these "hot carbon white dwarfs" have had both their hydrogen and helium shells stripped off, leaving their carbon layer exposed. Astronomers suspect that these could be among the most massive white dwarfs of all, the remnants of stars slightly too small to end their lives in a supernova explosion.

After these new carbon white dwarfs were announced, Montgomery calculated that pulsations in these stars were possible. Pulsating stars are of interest to astronomers because the changes in their light output can reveal what goes on in their interiors--similar to the way geologists study seismic waves from earthquakes to understand what goes on in Earth's interior. In fact, this type of star-study is called "asteroseismology."

So, Montgomery and Williams' team began a systematic study of carbon white dwarfs with the Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory, looking for pulsators. DeGennaro discovered that a star about 800 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, called SDSS J142625.71+575218.3, fits the bill. Its light intensity varies regularly by nearly two percent about every eight minutes.

"The discovery that one of these stars is pulsating is remarkably important," said NSF astronomer Michael Briley. "This will allow us to probe the white dwarf's interior, which in turn should help us solve the riddle of where the carbon white dwarfs come from and what happens to their hydrogen and helium."

The star lies about ten degrees east northeast of Mizar, the middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper. This white dwarf has about the same mass as our Sun, but its diameter is smaller than Earth's. The star has a temperature of 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit (19,500 C), and is only 1/600th as bright as the Sun.

None of the other stars in their sample were found to pulsate. Given the masses and temperatures of the stars in their sample, SDSS J142625.71+575218.3 is the only one expected to pulsate, based on Montgomery's calculations.

The astronomers speculate that the pulsations are caused by changes in the star's carbon outer envelope as the star cools down from its formation as a hot white dwarf. The ionized carbon atoms in the star's outer layers return to a neutral state, triggering the pulsations.

There is a chance that the star's variations might have another cause. Further study is needed, the astronomers say. Either way, studying these stars will shed light on the unknown process that strips away their surface layers of hydrogen and helium to lay bare their carbon interiors.

This is AMP, signing out.

Admin stuff

2008-04-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone....

Firstly, the science team fund is hungry for more money....bottomless pit...haiz

Pls take note of the following payments:
a) Science team fund: All to hand in $5 to jasmine =D
b) Science team Tee: $10 (compulsory for sec 1 to 3....Zzz...optional for sec 4...hand the money to jasmine as well =D)
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Secondly, this is the update for 17 may ACJC astro fest (those who are participating... pls read...apparently this yr astrofest is going to be quite major...there is game round, quiz round, the fair itself, and there is a final for the top 4 teams...rd urslef, sound interesting unfortunately im not joining)

AstroFest 2008 will include a full scale competition ongoing throughout the event. The total score from all the events the team participates in will decide the overall winner.The breakdown of the total score calculation is as follows:Games(30%)Fair(70%)Grand Total(100%) On top of this, the top four teams for the astronomy games segment (the top four groups which accumulated the most points through the games) will take part in the Games Finals after the Astronomy Fair, where they will compete for the finals top four rankings.

For this exhibition and contest, each team is to prepare a booth for the Astronomy Fair. The booth should consist of posters and/or a project.Each team will be given an exhibition board, and two tables with 3 chairs.The dimensions of the board area allocated are 120 cm (length) by 120 cm (height). Participants are recommended to leave some allowance space.The booth can showcase anything from educational posters to live demonstrations. Creativity is encouraged.

1Creativity 30%
2Content 30%
3Aesthetics 20%
4Presentation 20%

1.AstroScrabbleIn this game, participants will be given a pool of letters. From there, they will have to use their knowledge to form words related to astronomy. Using standard scrabble scoring system, the winning team is the one which scores the most points.

2.AstroPyramidsFor this game, each group will have to elect one of their members as a guesser. A series of astronomy related words will then be shown to the rest of the team members. The team will have to describe these words to the guesser without mentioning the root word. The team whose guesser correctly identifies the most number of words will be the winner.

3.AstroArtIn this game, each group will have to elect a person. A series of different astronomy related words will be shown to the person, and he will then have to draw a picture to relate these words to the rest of the team. The team which guesses the most number of words correctly wins.

4.Wheel of AstronomyAn unknown astronomy‐related phrase will be displayed. Teams will take turns to spin a wheel and guess the letters of the phrase, or instantly solve it. The number of points they earn for each letter will be determined by where the wheel stops at. The team with the most number of points wins.

5.Aim for the StarsTeams will take turns to throw darts at a sky chart. Teams will then have to answer trivia related to the constellation which they hit. Teams with the most number of correct answers win.

6.The Armchair Astronomer photo of an astronomical object will be revealed part by part. Teams will earn points depending on how fast they identify the photo. The team with the most points wins.
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Thirdly, those participating in NUS NTU... the date is 6 june and 8 june...so do keep yourself free on these days... Those who borrowed stuff from the astro store, do return it to wei de as soon as possible (i meant immediately aft exams =D) Also, most probably wei de will be in charge of the trainings as the sec 4 will be busy with their ISP
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Thats all. good luck for the upcomming common test/ mid yr...(whatever they choose to call it) and rm to keep the blog active =D

pH7

AMP with his news again!

2008-04-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

Physicist Wheeler dead

Published: Wednesday, 16 April, 2008,
07:42 AM Doha Time

WASHINGTON: US physicist John Wheeler, one of Albert Einstein’s last collaborators who helped build the atomic bomb and gave black holes their name, died at the weekend, his family said. He was 96.

President George W Bush issued a statement on Monday saying that he and First Lady Laura Bush “are saddened by the death of ... one of America’s greatest physicists.”
“

During his distinguished career,” Bush added, “Dr. Wheeler collaborated with scientists such as Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr on projects that changed the course of history.”

Wheeler, who was involved with the Manhattan project that build the world’s first atomic bomb, died April 13 of pneumonia at his home in Hightstown, New Jersey, said his daughter, Alison Wheeler Lahnston.

Born July 9, 1911 in Jacksonville, Florida, Wheeler tried unsuccessfully to complete Einstein’s unified theory after his death.

He also helped work out the Harrison-Wheeler equation describing high-density nuclear matter that occurs in the heart of neutron stars.

He coined the term “black hole” for stars that collapse into such dense cores that light cannot escape from them.
During a conference on the subject in New York in 1967, a student shouted “black hole” to suggest a name for the phenomenon. Wheeler made the name a household word.

Wheeler became a professor at Princeton University in New Jersey in the 1930s, and remained on the faculty at the prestigious university all his academic life before moving to the University of Texas in 1976, when he was close to retirement.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology cosmologist Max Tegmark told The New York Times Wheeler was “the last Titan, the only physics superhero still standing.” – AFP

And we will always remember you during our black hole lectures.

And I'll remember your famous theorem when that !%!#$@!@ NS barber shaves my head.

2008-04-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

And here is AMP with the astronomy news roundup for today :)

In Astronomy News:

Astronomers Observe Coldest Brown Dwarf Ever

Posted on: Thursday, 10 April 2008, 09:35 CDT

An international team led by French and Canadian astronomers has just discovered the coldest brown dwarf ever observed. Their results will soon be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. This new finding was made possible by the performance of telescopes worldwide*: Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and Gemini North Telescope, both located in Hawaii, and the ESO/NTT located in Chile.

The brown dwarf is named CFBDS J005910.83-011401.3 (it will be called CFBDS0059 in the following). Its temperature is about 350°C and it’s mass about 15-30 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet of our solar system. Located about 40 light years from our solar system, it is an isolated object, meaning that it doesn't orbit another star.

--- http://www.dailyastronomy.com/story.asp?ID=278560&Title=Astronomers%20Observe%20Coldest%20Brown%20Dwarf%20Ever

Home > Sci-Tech > Space

NASA prepares for Lunar dust mission

New York, April 13: NASA is preparing to send a mission to the moon in 2011 to assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above the surface.

Called the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), the aim of the mission is to gather detailed information about conditions near the surface as well as the environmental influences on lunar dust, the NASA said.

According to the Agency`s scientists, an understanding of these influences will help in getting a view of how future exploration would shape the lunar environment and how the environment may affect future explorers.

Director of NASA`s Ames Research Centre in California S Pete Worden said: "LADEE represents a low-cost approach to science missions, enabling faster science return and more frequent missions.

"These measurements will provide scientific insight into the lunar environment, and give our explorers a clearer understanding of what they`ll be up against as they set up the first outpost and begin the process of settling solar system."

Bureau Report

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Dinosaur asteroid thought to be smaller

HONOLULU (AP) _ A doctoral student at the University of Hawaii has found that the asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was much smaller than thought.

Francois Paquay says the asteroid was only about half the size of the previous estimate of nine-point-three to 12 miles in diameter.

Paquay has developed a method to determine the size of meteorites that have hit Earth using osmium isotopes in deep ocean sediments.

His findings recently appeared in the journal Science.

A giant meteorite is one of several theories that include global warming advanced for the disappearance of the dinosaurs and other species.

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And that is the Astronomy News Roundup for today.

See ya!：）

ＡＭＰ

2008-04-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

Today's ASTRO selection quiz.

Quote: "This is a quiz, not a test, if someone knows how to do all the questions, then this quiz is a failure."

For the sec3s and sec2s, we got pwned by data response with an exception of a certain sec2 student by the nickname of AMP aka absent minded professor who is not so absent minded after all.

I am not even sure why the selection quiz has data analysis (data response) inside it.
It is pretty unfair for the people who have not been to competitions to even attempt answering the data response questions.

Congrats to those sec4s who did well for the selection test. You guys deserve it.
I am sure the sec1s did well after seeing page 1 of the quiz. I wish I was still a sec1.

Good luck to all your future endeavors.
Ya, this is Cheng Wee. Why am I so active in this blog?

P.S: Please tag! Taggyboard is there for a reason.

Wikipedia Update!

2008-04-07T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Just to have you know, I've just updated the school's wikipedia article with our astro achievements! :)

On a heavier note (is there even such an expression?),
The day after tomorrow is... *plays dramatic evilll music* The (insert adjective here) Selection Test!!* Remember to study! :)

(inserts a sound of a vampire laughing)

Ok, enough of my nonsense...i'm a bit hyper as i just drank some pink dolphin. :)

See ya on Wed! :)

-- AMP

P.S. I really have to stop putting smiley faces at the end of my sentences...oh wells :)

Yesterday 7.00pm to today 9.00am

2008-03-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, for people who have missed the star gazing session.
One word, Congratulations.
The sky was so cloudy, nothing could be seen.
We ended up using the telescopes for other purposes.
Then, we ended up doing what we do every star gazing session till we went home.

Attendance for the event: 11
Zero attendance for Sec 2 Astro members.
What is this?

Anyway, this is a waste of time in the end anyway.
However, I will treat it as a bonding session.

Signature: Cheng Wee

First time posting.

2008-03-21T01:57:00.001-07:00

Actually truth to be told, I have absolutely no interest in our Astronomy blog until our Astronomy competitions ended like 1 week ago? You know, things tend to spice up after an important event had happened; just like the case of Edison Chen's. LOL.

Nevertheless, my target audiences for this post will be nonetheless the juniors of BPastro. With the seniors going to step down during the May season, firstly, I hope that all of you won't feel that demoralised, cus' it will be all of you to continue igniting the spirit of BPastro and be proud of who you are, and for what you want to achieve exactly. In simple words, just work hard, stretch yourself to your fullest potential and show everybody, including your seniors, what you've got. When it's time for you to present your talent, go ahead, cus' everybody will be there to give you extra support and comfort. And confidence. So, for the future of our Astronomy team in BPGHS, go and mugmugmug astro for like daily? Even if it takes 15 minutes per day, it's still considered an effort, a hardwork being put in. People will therefore appreciate your preseverance one day.

Jiayou, everybody, though I may seem like I'm blabbering utter nonsenses. With love, Weili.

Just a suggestion. Or maybe a few suggestions.

2008-03-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

Just a few suggestions

Should we have a two day work week?
I thought of this after the Astronomy "vigorous training" for the two competitions.
I realise that one day per week is not enough for all of us to prepare for the competitions.
I think some of us find it very taxing and annoying to have last minute "preparations" for any competitions like a few weeks ago. Actually, Astro for two days a week doesnt sound bad, right?
Some other CCAs have it more often. Also, we should stop at two.

Next, could we please please please plan an event specifically for other schools like competitions or maybe another variation of Astrofest? I felt a little bit "jealous" of how other schools can organise events for other schools to join. Lets just say this is another way to recruit foreign talents from Primary School kids in the vicinity, like an event for the Primary Schools kids to join so that they could enjoy our Astronomy activities for that one day and strive to join Bukit Panjang Government High for our Astronomy Club.

Thus, according to the stop at two policy, I shall stop at two suggestions.

This is Cheng Wee signing off.

Astronomy Competition

2008-03-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well...how should i start....emmm... i guess by now most of you would know of our performance in the recent astro competition...but nevermind, i shall narrate the story again.

I supposed competition goes along with the training... and this time is two competition in the row, so we started our training something like two weeks before (which is well...immediately after our common test... sympathise us). We all thought we would be doing badly for both competition, considering the fact that most of us are new to the competition and that we started training late.

Then comes Astrigue, i guessed we did pretty well for MCQ and pryamid round. As for data analysis, i shall not say anything about it. So BP team 2 entered final (Wei li, Lyria, Silas and me), together with RI and RGS. I heard that BP team 1 are only few marks away from final. The team is sort of in the lead for the first two round, namely individual and picture recognition (yeah...lyria put up an excellent performance... her picture recognition skill is beyond description, whether by words or by picture) Here is the climax-- the buzzer round (or the jeopardy round whatever they call it). Being overly anxious, i gave numerous wrong answers. In addition, we made plenty of careless mistakes (if people tell you that making mistakes is one way of learning... tell them to shutup...making mistakes during competition is super irritating, and you would not learn anything from it. then there is this whole theory about it is never too late to correct one mistake...unfortunately, the organiser only accept the first answer.) . Towards the end, we are only a small margin behind RGS. Then come to the last question, knowing we have nothing to lost, we buzz in, in hope that we answered correctly and emerged as champion (i mean, even if we answered wrongly, we would still be second). I could recall vividly-- the question is on hubble constant and the age of the universe. Here is when i commited a grave mistake. In a moment of folly, i gave an answer immediately, without hesitation. Adding on to that, i gave the wrong answer ( and wei li actually knew the correct answer...i should have discussed with my team mate.....agrrr... i start to feel guilty now. i screwed everything up)

And well, so we won Ag, one position behind RGS. Although Derek, Dong Wei, Xin Jie and Yong Li etc tried to encourage us by saying we should have won, and that the organiser are at fault, it did not helped much. I guessed the main reason we lost is because we are using the wrong competition tactics. So, wei li and lyria, cheer up. Its Ok. At least we tried our best, and remember, no matter what we get, we won it as a team. This is no one person credit, nor should anyone is to be blame. If we really have to pin point fingers at someone, it would be me, for failing to lead the team to get Au. And Wei de, do cheer up too, you did an excellent job in leading team 1. You had tried your best. Im sure everyone would be proud of you. I really appreciate your help in volunteering to lead the team, in planning the training within the 2 weeks time frame, and in giving me the encouragement when i need it. You can do it, have faith in yourself, dont give up now, there is still a long way to go. Remember, the stars will rise when the stars had set.

Now, lets narrate today's event. Chze kian ( yah...happy birthday anyway), Silas, Jia le (congrats, you had done an excellent job, your hardwork had been paid off. You deserve to enter final) and me was selected for the finals. I think wei li is behind by only a small margin. (Cheer up wei li, dont be so upset. You tried your best already, remember? I understand that you had sacrificed quite a lot for the competition, and you always try to give me the moral support when i need it most. Im glad to have you as a friend and im definitely proud of you for giving in your best and putting up such an excellent performance for Astrigue. Seriously, i dont think i could had gotten this far if without your help. As i always emphasis, this is a team event, and all ten of us who prepare so hard for the competition played an equally important part. You had done your part and im really proud of you.As you knew, im not a person who is very good at words, I appologised if i gave you false hope, perhaps my form of moral support seemed sarcastic when you did not enter final but i really meant no ill intentions. Im really sorry for that. Do cheer up and be the happy wei li once again. Have faith in yourself, being a quick-witted and clever boy, im sure you would suceed in all your endeavour. Do not give up. Jia you!)

Anyway, the details for the final you guys could probably find out more in other blogs. We finally won gold, i think we are ahead of RI by only a small margin. The RI guys are really strong and they do know their stuff. NUS high did an excellent job too, and they put up a good fight.

I guessed thats all. Of course, we had our diner after that. Feel sort of relief that everything is finally over (phew). But as again, im equally sad that everything would soon return to normal. i will definitely miss the experience. And guess what, im lagging behind in my homework ( i completed only 2 EWs... left with 6 a math paper, Heymath for Emath and Amath, literature (pet shop and The fox essay), 1 chinese argumentative essay, chemistry, bio.......... no hope of finishing it i guessed. but nvm, i would not bore you with my homework status)

Good work for those who had take part in the Astrigue and NYP competition. You guys had done your best. Im really proud of you all. Wei li and wei de, do cheer up as well.

Daily update and I mean DAILY

2008-03-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I wonder who is viewing the dead and perhaps boring blog of Bukit Panjang Government High School Astronomy Team.

I want to know who is coming to support us during NYP.

Newsflash: Mr Lee, our principal might be there tomorrow.

This could and may be another futile attempt to raise the blog from the dead.
Anyway, should anyone know of any inside information of NYP, let us know.

Joking, Joking.

Have a good sleep, guys as well as girls.

Signing off: Cheng Wee

RJC Astrigue

2008-03-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

Hi 1st time posting here.

It was really a disappointment.
2nd in place wasnt really a good thing when the team was like leading for 40+ against raffles girls school...
Then they won...

However, there is still hope.
There is still NYP Astro Quiz.
Lets redeem our pride.

Cheng Wee posting and out

2008-03-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

To all Astro ppl,

Haha the blog is quite dead.... i know i sounded sadistic but nvm. lol...someone just blog something to retrieve it. Anyway for those who missed the Jocelyn Bell talk...well, she is quite friendly...and someone metion something about pulsar... i think it is unfair tt she did not get the credit for discovering it ( as in the nobel prize) During the lecture someone asked her how did she feel...and i think her answer is pretty well- witty and humourous.

Yah then there is this RJC and NYP competition... haven started training for it...i mean with all these common tests coming along (good luck 4 all who did well...but again for those who did not do well there is always a second time) ... the competition seems pretty far... Our goal this time is to get at least Ag... Au seems quite impossible. RJC website have some astro notes... just go to their school website and click under "Astrigue". Go read it and have fun!

Thats all... Zzzz...

pH 7

2007-12-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

right.. ya people say the words too small...

i change the words from 10pt to 13 pt in size
hope you guys (and girls) are fine with 13pt...

why 13? coz i like the number xP

anymore problems with the words or codes etc. in this blog just ~~say~~ tag

gotta go..

-user: Jade a.k.a Jiale-
-Login Out-

Notice

2007-11-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone. I am Weide. If anyone has seen my astro book named "Astro Book 2", please notify me as soon as possible. The last action on the book was on the 29th Aug, at night. Recently, I have found it to be missing. Perhaps, I misplaced it or something, but I am just trying my luck here and I hope people will read the astro blog. haha. All the best and I hope I can find my precious book back as soon as possible. Thanks. =)

Email me at: lee_wei_de@yahoo.com.sg

Thanks once again. =D

jupiter's moons

2007-10-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

HERE's a list of Jupiter's moons
1) Io 22) Harpalyke 43. Arche
2)Europa 23) Kalyke 44. Kallichore
3) Ganymede 24) Iocaste 45. Helike
4) Callisto 25) Erinome 46. Carpo
5) Amalthea 26) Isonoe 47. Eukelade
6) Himalia 27) Praxidike 48.)Cyllene
7) Elara 28) Autonoe 49. Kore
8) Pasiphae 29)Thyone
9) Sinope 30) Hermippe
10) Lysithea 31) Aitne
11) Carme 32) Eurydome
12) Ananke 32) Eurydome
13) Leda 34) Euporie
14) Thebe 35) Orthosie
15) Adrastea 36) Sponde
16) Metis 37) Kale
17) Callirrhoe 38) Pasithee
18) Themisto 39) Hegemone
19.)Megaclite 40) Mneme
20) Taygete 41) Aoede
21) Chaldene 42) Thelxinoe

Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Its surface is covered by sulfur in different colorful forms. As Io travels in its slightly elliptical orbit, Jupiter's immense gravity causes 'tides' in the solid surface 100 meters (300 feet) high on Io, generating enough heat to give rise to the volcanic activity and drive off any water. Io's volcanoes are driven by hot silicate magma. ___adrita

The Peculiar Pulsar in the crab neb

2007-10-24T02:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone. Weide here. Today, I shall present Hannah's favourite thingy.... the Crab Neb!!! XD hahahas. This has something to do with the weird pulsar pulsating in the supernova remnant. The article is courtesy of Fraser.
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In 1054, Chinese and Arab astronomers noticed a new star shining brilliantly in the sky. This was one of the first recorded observations of a supernova, and the remnants of that explosion are what we now call the Crab Nebula. The nebula still interests astronomers today, as in addition to its spectacular beauty, it's host to a pulsar with curious properties that may change drastically our understanding of the physics of pulsars.A team led by Dr. Jean Eileck and Tim Hankins at New Mexico Tech looked at the Crab pulsar in the radio spectrum using the Very Large Array and Aricebo telescopes, and discovered to their surprise that the pulsar's radio emissions are much more complex than previously thought.
Their article, What makes the Crab pulsar shine?, appeared in the proceedings of the meeting Forty Years of Pulsars: Millisecond Pulsars, Magnetars and More.

The Crab pulsar – a rapidly spinning neutron star that emits radiation from its magnetic poles like a lighthouse – actually emits two different pulses; one is called the main pulse, and the other, which is about 160 degrees away in rotation from the main one, is called the interpulse.
They looked at individual pulses over very short periods of time to tease apart their properties, and found that the interpulse differs in three significant ways from the main pulse on certain radio frequencies: it produces light that is more polarized - the wavelengths of light are more aligned together - the interpulse lasts longer, and the radiation emitted is more dispersed.
"Because similar physics should lead to similar emission processes, these models suggest that the main pulse and interpulse should be the same in their observable quantities. We were – and remain – quite surprised that this turns out not to be the case in the Crab pulsar," Eileck wrote.
In other words, it is curious that the interpulse should have different properties, given that it is thought to come from the same mechanism as the main pulse. This raises a lot of questions as to our knowledge of pulsar physics: Are other pulsars like this? How do pulsars create such different radio emissions?
"The Crab is clearly special as far as the number of components in its mean profile, and also the fact that it has a larger number of very-bright pulses than most pulsars (those "giant" pulses are the ones bright enough for us to study individually). But no one knows if that means its emission physics is special, or ordinary… there's still argument about that," Eileck wrote in an email response.
Eileck's team plans to look at other pulsars with the aim of answering this very question, among the host of others raised by their research.

hehe. Maybe we all can discuss about this article? I don't know but I hope this will be a precedent for the other BPST members to post astro articles here for all to enjoy and discuss. Thanks. =)

Packing the astro store

2007-10-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. God.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS BLOG?!???!
*draws a pentacle, chat random words and raise it from the dead*

ok...
mineral here trying to save the blog

So today some of us were cleaning out the astro store.
And like wow. We found astro equipments that WE NEVER USED OR EVEN KNOW IT WAS THERE.
That includes 2 TELESCOPES.
And now we realise we have a total of 10 pairs of binoculars in total.

I think tomorrow we will find out whether the telescopes and binoculars are working..

I shall have my fingers crossed...

- user: Jade a.k.a. Jiale -
- Login Out -

Astro Thombstone

2007-09-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

Hey ! Gee, is everybody here ABSOLUTELY dead????
That is if there's anybody here any way......*dramatic act*OMG am i the last one alive?

LAME
-------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++

______________________

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<my genius 3 year old brother (i noe i runs in the blood)made a GREAT discovery......

..................................he made his very first TELESCOPE!.......................Not. three year old making a telescope..... yeah right.....
all he did was roll up a stupid newspaper up n stick it outta de window
n the rest of the dae he was boasting about it to me n my parents
even my friends who called on my home phone could not escape
his gibberish of triumph

adrita

my 1st com in...forget it(i sound like a lame old schooler)

2007-08-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

um... hi!0_0
u noe wad, this blog' really great, i'm sure vincent van gouh would have loved it especially the stary stary part.
i'm an innocent innocent litle sec1 and i haven't gt any info 2 share;)
you can stop glaring at the screen hannah...
so, i'd live to talk abt my experience at astrofest.
to me,
9:56 near Desighn Studio
i'm trying hard to get shehera to get out of bed on the phone .
10:00
second time calling missy sleeping beauty
10:20
mrs chow arrived n c.k. n edrey comming down from 2nd floor dragging a telescope. where the__ is shehera?
10:30 in the bus
where is shahera?
10:33
last one 2 arrive shahera safrin:)
11:45
arrive at acjc{i noe this is lame)
11:55
crap. slack. skip.
and oh yeah weide collecting coke cans.
12:00
carp
12;30
skip
12;47
we get combined into two groups each.
guess wad my tag's colour is? GREEN. ya i noe i'm totally enviromentally my waste paper basket's full of paper used only on one side but getting green where ever i go is unbearable!
12;58
we sitin a circle n then we play a so-called-game of wacko 'cause NO ONE COT WAKED in the first place.
this guy from ACSI introduced himself as umn smt smt aka boyano.
Guess wad i heard? UNO
so i went like can i play you ? very innocently but every one thought of it as the other way round.gross
1;20
playing doge ball.we've gt the uno guy in the other tem playing like a bowling maniac
and if that wasn't unfair enough, all of my opponents have a ball each and i'm the last one left. damn
1;35
astro pyramid
i was the one not facing the screen . when they flashed sexton onthe screem guess wad clue my group members gave me?
the middle finger
that's right.
i was like f?
the next clue :
hq fav word?
me:flaming faggots
oh n in the end we lost that game . despite al that sign language........
deadsotong ---adrita

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2007-07-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

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Oh, and I'm Hannah.^^

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