Big Bang Astronomy Club

🌞🌅 Did you know the Sun doesn't rise in the exact same direction every day? The direction shifts as the months change! Check out this incredible image by Zaid M. Al-Abbadi that captures the monthly direction of the sunrise from near Amman, Jordan, throughout 2019.⁠
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🧭 Facing due east, with north on the left and south on the right, the camera shows how the sunrise moves from southeast in December to northeast in June due to the Earth's tilt. This means that the sun rises farthest south of the east at the December solstice, and farthest north of the east at the June solstice.⁠
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📆 Today, the June solstice, is the day with the most daylight of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the least in the Southern Hemisphere, marking the beginning of new seasons around the globe.⁠
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🌍 Whether you're welcoming summer or winter today, this celestial dance of the Sun affects us all. Isn't our planet amazing?⁠
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Our experts work hard to inspire, advise, and report on all things Astronomy. Check it out!🔭
👇Join the Astronomy Community!👇
https://bit.ly/ACL46A1

This has broken all records! 🤯

The James Webb Space Telescope has once again surpassed expectations, discovering a galaxy shining brightly in the early Universe. The newly found galaxy, depicted in the magnified section, is named JADES-GS-z14-0.

Upon analyzing the light spectrum from JADES-GS-z14-0, astronomers determined its redshift to be 14.32, marking it as the most distant known galaxy to date. This indicates that the light we are observing was emitted about 290 million years after the Big Bang. Essentially, JADES-GS-z14-0 exists in the universe's infancy, holding the title of the most distant known galaxy.

Based on observations, the galaxy spans over 1600 light-years across. Its light is primarily composed of collective starlight rather than emissions from an active galactic nucleus. The presence of such a luminous, massive galaxy with a high star formation rate challenges existing galaxy formation models. Astronomers are now striving to understand how such a galaxy formed within 300 million years after the Big Bang.

JADES-GS-z14-0 was pinpointed in images captured by the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) for the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. The infrared image obtained by NIRCam is a composite of several images taken using eight different filters, capturing the galaxy's light across various infrared wavelengths.

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Brant Robertson (UC Santa Cruz), Ben Johnson (CfA), Sandro Tacchella (Cambridge), Phill Cargile (CfA)

How to Identify that Light in the Sky (APOD: 2024 Jun 09)
Illustration Credit & Copyright: HK (The League of Lost Causes)
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240609.html

Explanation: What is that light in the sky? The answer to one of humanity's more common questions may emerge from a few quick observations. For example -- is it moving or blinking? If so, and if you live near a city, the answer is typically an airplane, since planes are so numerous and so few stars and satellites are bright enough to be seen over the glare of artificial city lights. If not, and if you live far from a city, that bright light is likely a planet such as Venus or Mars -- the former of which is constrained to appear near the horizon just before dawn or after dusk. Sometimes the low apparent motion of a distant airplane near the horizon makes it hard to tell from a bright planet, but even this can usually be discerned by the plane's motion over a few minutes. Still unsure? The featured chart gives a sometimes-humorous but mostly-accurate assessment. Dedicated sky enthusiasts will likely note -- and are encouraged to provide -- polite corrections.

http://www.leagueoflostcauses.com/

Starship Asterisk* • APOD Discussion Page
https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240609

If you're getting excited about next Monday's rare and spectacular "Parade of Planets" in the pre-dawn sky... take a deep breath and listen to reality.

This is yet another social (and other) media-created "special" celestial event which, as you might imagine, isn't all that special. Yes, many of the planets will be in alignment across the morning sky on Monday, June 3, but only Mars and Saturn (along with the crescent moon) will be visible to the unaided eye. Uranus and Neptune can be seen only with a telescope. And Mercury and Jupiter (which often are visible to the eye) will be much too close to the rising sun to see easily over its glare.

It'll be a pretty sight about an hour before sunrise, but nothing like the media and planetarium apps portray it.

"Now, wait," you say. "The planets are all in alignment... that's got to mean something!" Yes, it does. It means that the solar system is working as it should. From the Earth, the planets (and the moon) always appear along the ecliptic, which is the projection of their orbits across our sky. If ever they do not appear along this path, THAT would be a truly special event!

As always, please feel free to click "Share" so others may also learn the reality of next week's "amazing" planet parade.

It’s important to dim your lights to help preserve our nighttime environments. Reducing light pollution not only saves energy but also protects nocturnal ecosystems and creatures. You can make a small change that has a big impact by following the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN). Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/3U0zrNy

The only pollution that we can get rid-of in a fraction of a second- just flip the switch!

It’s important to dim your lights to help preserve our nighttime environments. Reducing light pollution not only saves energy but also protects nocturnal ecosystems and creatures. You can make a small change that has a big impact by following the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN). Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/3U0zrNy

START-2024:

Soliciting Expression of Interest to host the online programme in Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START) -2024
ISRO encourages greater participation from academia, for generating human resources in space science and technology, expanding the user base of the space exploration mission data, and fostering an ecosystem to facilitate active participation of the students in space science and technology research. Given this, ISRO initiated the online training programme “Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START)” in 2023. The START-2024 programme will be conducted during 15 April- 3 May 2024 with 1-2 hours per day. START is an introductory-level online training in space science and technology for post-graduate and undergraduate students of science and technology.
The main objective of the training programme is to attract youngsters to the fields of space science and technology. The training modules will comprise introductory-level topics on various verticals of space science and technology. The theme of START2024 is “Exploration of the Solar System”.
In this connection, ISRO solicits Expression of Interest (EOI) to host Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START) -2024 in educational institutes/ Universities/ Colleges within India that are offering UG /PG courses in physical sciences and technology. The START programme is offered by ISRO free of cost.
The START programme will be conducted through the ISRO E-CLASS platform (https://eclass.iirs.gov.in).
ISRO will evaluate all the Institutes that submitted EOI and approve them based on details submitted by them.
Last date for submission of Expression of Interest by Educational Institutes through URL- https://jigyasa.iirs.gov.in/START: April 2, 2024.
Online registration of students of Nodal Centre and other individuals through https://elearning.iirs.gov.in/edusatregistration/student starts on April 8, 2024, and ends on April 12, 2024.
All others can watch the live sessions of START for knowledge gain without registering on the website. The link for watching START is https://www.youtube.com/
For more details on START 2024, visit: https://jigyasa.iirs.gov.in/START

One more successful Gir Star Party and the last of this observing season. The clouds did play spoilsport initially but the morning Milky-way was splendid.

Rajkot Moon Watch
March 2024

*રાજકોટ મૂન વોચ*
*શું જોઈ શકાશે?* : ચંદ્ર અને તેના પરના ખાડાઓ (ઉલ્કા-ગર્તો) એક-દમ નજીક થી !!
*સમય* : 16 માર્ચ, સાંજે 7.30 થી રાતના 9.00 સુધી
*સ્થળ* : લોક વિજ્ઞાન કેન્દ્ર, તારામંડળ બિલ્ડિંગ, બાલભવન પાછળ, રેસકોર્ષ, રાજકોટ
*કયા કયા ટેલિસ્કોપ હશે?* : એક વિશાળ 12 ઇંચ વ્યાસ નું skywatcher dobsonian તેમજ ઝૂમ-વ્યૂ માટે 11 ઇંચ વ્યાસનું અધ્યતન Celestron C 11 XLT Computerized GoTo telescope
*કોણ કોણ આવી શકે?* : કોઈ પણ. 4 વર્ષના બાળકથી માંડીને વરિષ્ઠ નાગરિકો સુધી બધાનું સ્વાગત છે.
*ફી : જાહેર જનતા માટે તદ્દન નિશુલ્ક કાર્યક્રમ*

A successful event of Messier Marathon from bortle 3 sky of gir
9th March 2024

न पुण्यं न पापं, न सौख्यं न दुःखं न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदो न यज्ञः।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहं शिवोहम्।।

Orion is the Nataraja, the Dancing Shiva, performing His Dance of Bliss in the sky at night. As He dances for the liberation of humanity in the Hall of a Thousand Pillars on the night of Ardra (Arudra) Darshanam.

Here is an image of pragteshwar mahadev temple idol of lord Shiva holding the trishul pointing to the orion constellation captured from 2020 November BBAC event..

🔭🔭🌘🌘🪐🪐🪐 તા. 20 નવેમ્બર અને સોમવારના રોજ કારતક સુદ આઠમના સૂર્યાસ્ત સમયે આપણાં સૌર મંડળનો સૌથી સુંદર ગ્રહ શનિ અને ચંદ્ર દક્ષિણ દિશાના આકાશમાં એક-બીજાથી માત્ર 3.6 અંશનાં અંતરે જોવા મળશે. આ સાથેજ આપણાં સૌર મંડળનો સૌથી મોટો ગ્રહ એવો ગુરુ મેષ રાશીની અંદર પૂર્વ દિશામાં ચમકી રહ્યો હશે. લોક વિજ્ઞાન કેન્દ્ર રાજકોટની બિગ બેંગ એસ્ટ્રોનોમી ક્લબ દ્વારા જાહેર જનતા માટે આ નજારો ટેલિસ્કોપથી જોવાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું છે

તારીખ અને સમય: સોમવાર, 20 નવેમ્બર. સાંજે 6.30 થી 8.00

શું શું જોઈ શકાશે? : ત્રણે પદાર્થ માટે એક એમ કુલ 3 અધ્યતન અને વિશાળ ટેલિસ્કોપ લગાવવામાં આવશે જેમાંથી શનિના વલયો ઉપરાંત તેના એક અથવા બે ઉપગ્રહો, ગુરુ પરના વાદળના પટ્ટાઓ અને તેના 4 ઉપગ્રહો તેમજ ચંદ્ર પરના ઉલ્કા-ગર્તો સ્પષ્ટ જોઈ શકાશે.

સ્થળ: લોક વિજ્ઞાન કેન્દ્ર, આર્ટ ગેલેરી સામે, બાલ ભવન પાછળ, રેસકોર્ષ અંદર , રાજકોટ

ફી: જાહેર જનતા માટે તદ્દન નિશુલ્ક કાર્યક્રમ

Moon and Venus telescopic observation.

🔭🔭🔭🌘🌘⭐⭐ તા. 9 નવેમ્બરનાં રોજ વહેલી સવારે પૂર્વ દિશામાં ચંદ્ર અને શુક્ર એકબીજાથી માત્ર 4 અંશ જેટલા દૂર દેખાશે. લોક વિજ્ઞાન કેન્દ્ર રાજકોટની બિગ બેંગ એસ્ટ્રોનોમી ક્લબ દ્વારા જાહેર જનતા માટે આ નજારો ટેલિસ્કોપથી જોવાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું છે

તારીખ અને સમય: 9 નવેમ્બર 2023, સવારે 6.00 થી 7.00 વહેલી સવારે

શું જોઈ શકાશે : ટેલિસ્કોપ દ્વારા ચંદ્ર પરના ઉલ્કા-ગર્તો તેમજ Earth-Shine (પૃથ્વી દ્વારા પરાવર્તિત પ્રકાશ દ્વારા ચંદ્રના અંધારા ભાગનું મંદ મંદ પ્રકાશિત થવું). શુક્રનો ભ્રમણમાર્ગ પૃથ્વીના ભ્રમણમાર્ગથી અંદરના ભાગે છે માટે તે (અને બુધ) પૃથ્વી પરથી જોતાં ચંદ્રની જેમ કળાઓ દર્શાવે છે. શુક્રના આઠમના ચંદ્ર જેવી કળામાં ટેલિસ્કોપ દ્વારા જોઈ શકાશે

સ્થળ : લોક વિજ્ઞાન કેન્દ્ર, આર્ટ ગેલેરી સામે, બાલ ભવન પાછળ, રેસકોર્ષ અંદર , રાજકોટ

ફી : જાહેર જનતા માટેનો તદ્દન નિશુલ્ક કાર્યક્રમ

🚀🛰️🔭🔭🔭Hands-on Astronomy training for children aged 9 to 12 years

What will be the activities?
👉 Astronomy model making which will include star clock, planisphere, sundial, solar system distance scale, moon phases, zodiac belt etc
👉 Practical sessions on types of telescopes and how to use them.
👉 Day time telescope session - sunspot observation
👉 Night -out with a telescope

Who can participate?
Any English medium student aged 9 to 13 years.

What will be the time and duration?
The workshop will be for 15 days or three weeks. Classes will be at 4.00 pm to 5.50 pm, Monday to Friday. One day time session will be arranged on one of the three Sundays with prior intimation to the participants.

What will be the mode of learning?
Offline and in person at OVSRCSC, Racecourse, Rajkot. Printed modules for all topics will be provided to the students along with all the necessary things for the models mentioned above. Students have to bring a mathematical compass box, glue and scissors. On the first day, a half an hour session will be for parents in which the goals and outcomes of this course will be explained to them.

Fees?
Rs. 1500/- non refundable per participant.

Registration?
Starting 6 November 2023. Timings for registration will be10.30 am to 5.30 pm on any working day at Lok Vigyan Kendra, opp art gallery, inside racecourse, Rajkot. Admissions will be on a first come first serve basis.