PERTH OBSERVATORY NEWSLETTER
SUMMER
SOLSTICE
DECEMBER
WHAT'S IN THE SKY UPCOMING ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
A BUSY YEAR FOR PROJECTS RESTORING THE ASTROGRAPH TELESCOPE
DETECTING NEAR EARTH OBJECTS SPOTTING AND STOPPING THREATS TO OUR PLANET
2020
EDITOR'S NOTE BY JAMES CHESTERS DECEMBER 2020
Welcome to the Summer Solstice edition of Perth Observatory's newsletter. It's hard to believe that it's December again – and with it the Noongar season of Birak. It's the season of the young, with easing rains and warmer days.
PERTH OBSERVATORY
Perth Observatory Volunteer Group
337 Walnut Rd Bickley WA 6076
acknowledges we're based on Aboriginal land. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians, the Wadjak people of the Noongar nation, and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.
What's in this issue of the newsletter? Matt Woods gives us all the important info on What's Up in the Sky every month – including the Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter on December 21! And don't miss his monthly virtual star parties, hosted live on YouTube.
Julie Matthews gives a warm welcome to our new volunteers, Paul Wadham updates us on various projects at the observatory, Trevor Bulley writes about the Mundrabilla meteor, Michelle Ashley-Emilie makes Orion Nebula ice cream sandwiches, and we chat to the ESA about Near-Earth Objects.
In our starry Southern sky over the coming summer nights this quarter, we have the Orion Nebula, Eta Carinae, Messier 46 and the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower all waiting to be seen.
At the observatory, we have new guided day tours on Sundays if you're out and about enjoying the Bickley valley.
CONTACT US
Thank you to everyone who helps keep Perth Observatory running every day, every year, and this newsletter filled with content every quarter.
And if you're celebrating – we wish you a Merry
Perth Observatory PO Box 179 Kalamunda WA 6926
Christmas!
(08) 9293 8255 newsletter@povg.org.au www.perthobservatory.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTENTS
Editor-in-Chief
Great Conjunction
James Chesters
Contributors
05
Don't miss the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21.
Dr Colin Armstrong Dr Craig Bowers Jay Chesters Julie Matthews Matt Woods Michelle Ashley-Emile Paul Wadham Trevor Bullee
13
Subscribe Click Below to subscribe to the newsletterÂ
Come on, get social
Astrofest 2021 Astrofest returns in 2021 with an astronomically awesome event for the whole family.
Projects update
24 30
Our maintenance team are working on a number of significant repair and refurbishment projects.
Star Wars Holiday Special - Review It's Life Day and Chewbacca is desperate to get back to his waiting wife Malla, child, Lumpy, and his father, Itchy.
A VIEW THROUGH THE EYEPIECE
POVG CHAIR DR COLIN ARMSTRONG Here we come to a turning of the season.
Work continues in our library without fanfare and only a little
As the Earth completes its arc towards the Sun, we reflect
recognition. In addition to journals and papers, we have 2,145
on the end of 2020, and the beginning of 2021.
Firstly, thank you to all Perth Observatory volunteers for your dedication and contributions to Perth Observatory. Your dedication is what keeps Western Australia's oldest observatory running day and night.
catalogued books of astronomy significance in the library.
In February this year, we opened the Worl Wangkiny Aboriginal Astronomy Centre and we've incorporated it into some of our tours, and in September we welcomed Perth Observatory's first beekeeper.
With our frequently-changing state border, the WA We're all too aware of how tough this past year has been on visitors and volunteers alike; with the reasonable sacrifices to our personal freedoms contending with our
Government has developed the free SafeWA app, an online contact register system for COVID-19 that uses QR codes for observatory visitors and staff to scan and register their
fears of virus outbreak and business uncertainty.
attendance.
But 2020 has also been a year of achievement in the face
You'll find the Perth Observatory QR code and hanging in the
of adversity.
foyer when you visit us for a tour (or to volunteer) and if you're not using the app, we have a file the foyer to record your
Perth Observatory | 2020 in numbers
details on paper.
154 Perth Observatory volunteers contributed 22,603 hours to Western Australia 93 Night Sky Tours entertained 4,191 visitors
Our increased cleaning continues, our dedicated Hygiene Officer remains on all tours, and we offer all Perth Observatory volunteers AHA Hospitality and Tourism COVID-19
17 Day School Tours welcomed 567 children and 204
Hygiene Training. Our commitment to everyone's safety
adult visitors
remains resolute.
22 Exclusive Night Tours ushered in 550 visitors This quarter's newsletter is packed full of great content for you
12 Exclusive Day Tours greeted 152 visitors 12 stars 'adopted'
to enjoy. Thanks to our talented editor-in-chief, Jay, for another edition.
With our R-COP telescope, Perth Observatory continues
I hope to see you all soon under the summer sky's stars at
contributing to international astronomy research.
Perth Observatory!
Engaging with international universities, in January 2020
- Colin
we started nightly observations of what initially was believed to be an exoplanet transit.
Perth Observatory was the only observatory continuing nightly observations of J0600 during the COVID-19 lockdown, and observations continued with our data credited in international scientific publications.
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
GREAT CONJUNCTION BY MATT WOODS
December's great conjunction is more than a once-in-a-lifetime event. The conjunction of
Jupiter and Saturn on December 2020 is the closest the two planets get in almost 400 years.
That's more like a once-in-14 generations event.
The rare conjunction of these two planets is known as a 'great conjunction.' The last time the two gas giants were this close was July 16, 1623, when Galileo Galilei, the father of observational astronomy, was still accepting party invites.
Between December 20 and 22, the two bright planets separated by a mere 0.1 degrees and will appear so close that they will seem to form a bright double planet. Look to the wester horizon just after sunset for this impressive and rare planetary pair.
ABOUT CONJUNCTIONS Conjunctions involve objects in the Solar System and more distant objects, such as a star. It's an apparent phenomenon caused by the observer's perspective, where multiple distant objects appear to be close in the sky.
JOIN US IN NORTH COOGEE Note: the bright "double star" of this great conjunction will only be visible for a couple of hours, so make sure you have a clear view of the horizon!
With this mind, to celebrate this special occasion, Perth Observatory and Fremantle Sidewalk Astronomy are heading down with telescopes to the picnic area at C Y O'Connor dog beach in North Coogee so you can see the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn from 19:45 to 21:30.
WHAT'S IN
JANUARY'S NIGHT SKIES BY MATT WOODS
Mercury is low in the Western sky in the early evening in the first month of 2021, moving from the constellation of Capricornus (The Sea-Goat)
Mars is high in the north-west evening sky in January.
and into Aquarius (The Water Bearer) at the end of the
The red planet starts the month in Pisces (The Fish) and
last week of January.
moves into Aries (The Ram) at the end of the first week of the month.
Mercury will also have its greatest elongation in the west on January 24, and will then begin making its way back
Mars sets at 00:46 the beginning of the month, and by
towards the Sun.
the end of the month, it’ll set at 23:28.
Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is viewable in
Uranus is viewable in the evening very close to
the morning twilight in the south-east. In the first week of
Mars. At the start of January, the planet will set around
January it, moves from Ophiuchus (The Serpent-Bearer)
01:20, and by the end of the month, it sets at 23:18.
to Sagittarius (The Archer). Venus sets at the beginning of January at 03:46 (AWST) and at 04:34 by the end of the month.
Mercury near its greatest elongation in the West in the evening
Mercury and Jupiter on 15/01/21 at 20:00
Mars and Uranus on 15/01/21 at 20:30
MOON PHASES
Venus on 15/01/21 at 04:30
of 01/10/21
Neptune on 15/01/21 at 20:30
All images: credit Stellarium
Neptune on 15/01/21 at 20:30
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS BY MATT WOODS
Earth at Perihelion Earth's orbit around the Sun changes, and we're closest to the Sun in its orbit when its summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun (at the perihelion), about two weeks after the December Solstice at 21:50 (AWST) on Sunday, January 2.
The Earth will be 147,093,163km away from the Sun that day, this occurs because the Earth's orbit is elliptical.
Approximately every 100,000 years, Earth's orbital path changes from being nearly circular to elliptical. This is due to the gravitational influences of other planetary objects, particularly the Moon.
The difference of the Earth's orbital path from a perfect circle is known as its eccentricity. Also, the word Perihelion comes from ancient Greek, where peri means close and helios means sun. Mars and Uranus on 15/01/21 at 20:30
Neptune on 15/01/21 at 20:30
Neptune on 15/01/21 at 20:30
Image Credit: timeanddate.com
The Orion Nebula - Image credit: NASA
WHAT TO SEE | JANUARY
ORION NEBULA BY MATT WOODS
The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula. North of Orion’s Belt (for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere) the nebula is in the constellation of Orion.
One of the brightest in our skies, the nebula is visible to the naked eye. Messier 42 (as it’s also known) is 1,344 light-years away from our Solar System, and it's an estimated 24 light-years across. To put that size in context, the NGC 2404 nebula is thought to be approximately 2,000 light-years in diameter.
The Orion nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems form from collapsing clouds of gas and dust.
The Orion constellation is called Djulpan by the Yolngu people, the traditional inhabitants of north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
To the Yolngu people, the constellation shows a hunting party. In their traditional stories of the Dreaming, the story goes that three brothers went out hunting and fishing, but could only catch kingfish. Unfortunately, because they were from the kingfish clan, the brothers were forbidden by Yolngu law to eat the fish.
One brother got so hungry that he started eating a kingfish, and when the Sun, Walu, saw this, she became so angry she blew the brothers into the sky.
You can still see the three brothers up there today, as the three stars in Orion's belt – with the Orion nebula as the kingfish trailing behind their canoe on its line.
The Yolngu people call Orion Djulpan | Image credit: Professor Ray Norris
Orion Nebula on 15/01/21 at 21:00 | Image Credit: Stellarium
UPCOMING EVENTS
VALENTINE'S DAY 2021
Join us for a special starry night sky tour on Valentine’s Day night. Book your tickets for our Valentine’s Day night sky tour today! Join us at Perth Observatory on Sunday, February 14 and experience our amazing summer southern night sky with your significant someone.
You'll have the opportunity to see the sky, stars, nebulas and planets together through a variety of the observatory's telescopes – and there's nothing more romantic than a beautiful starlit night.
Better yet, the observatory will be open earlier than normal – so you can join our friendly resident kangaroos for a romantic picnic dinner on our back lawn as the sun slowly sets and the evening stars start to shine.
Price Adult: $50.00 Concession: $35.00 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $25.00 Location: Perth Observatory Date: Sunday, February 14 Time: 20:30 (Gates open 19:00)
BOOK NOW
WHAT'S IN
FEBRUARY'S NIGHT SKIES BY MATT WOODS
Mercury returns in the early morning this month, low in the eastern sky in the middle of February. Starting in Aquarius (the Water Bearer), Mercury moves into Capricornus (the Sea-Goat) two days later.
Viewable in the morning twilight in the south-east, in the first week of February our sister planet
Venus moves from
Sagittarius (the Archer) to Capricornus. By the last week of February, Venus moves into Aquarius.
Mars is high in the north-west evening sky this month. The red planet starts the month in Aries (the Ram) constellation and moves into Taurus (the Bull) during the last week of February.
Mars set at 23:26 (AWST) the beginning of the month, and by the end of February, it's setting at 22:29.
Venus on 15/01/21 at 04:30
Mars and Uranus on 15/02/21 at 20:30
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn on 15/02/21 at 05:15
All images: credit Stellarium
MOON PHASES
Neptune on 15/01/21 at 20:30
Eta Carinae - Image credit: NASA
WHAT TO SEE | FEBRUARY
ETA CARINAE BY MATT WOODS
With variable brightness and colour, Eta Carinae is one of the most remarkable stars in the heavens. When we say “Eta Carinae” we refer to the star itself, which for Perth is a circumpolar star (meaning we see the star all year round) and not the Carinae Nebula.
Eta Carinae is 100 times the Sun’s mass and four million times brighter, though this brightness has been unstable – with the star recorded over the past 300 years between magnitude -0.8 (as bright as Canopus) and +7.9.
The star is sometimes in the news as it’s expected to go supernova within the next one million years. When this happens, the supernova will be a spectacular sight: it will be visible by day, and possibly even bright enough to read by at night.
Eta Carinae is very likely a binary star, with the smaller partner orbiting in a highly elliptical orbit of 5.5 years. The Carinae Nebula (NGC 3372), which surrounds Eta Carinae, is a large, bright star-formation region and has produced several very massive stars, including Eta Carinae.
At around 260 light-years across, the Carina Nebula is around seven times the size of Great Orion Nebula, but due to its greater distance, only spans twice the width. There are many O-type stars, young (~2 million years), hot, bright stars that energise the entire Eta Carinae nebulae.
Carina Nebula on 15/02/21 at 21:00
Image Credit: Stellarium
Carina Nebula
Image Credit: Roger Groom
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS | FEBRUARY
ALPHA CENTAURIDS SHOWER BY MATT WOODS
The Alpha Centaurids Meteor Shower is the first meteor shower of the year -for the Southern hemisphere. Technically, the Quadrantids meteor shower comes first but since you can't see them from Perth we're less interested.
Alpha Centaurids are active between January 28 and February 21, peaking around 00:30 on February 7/8.
It may be a minor meteor shower, but on warm summer nights they're a good excuse to head outdoors and look to the stars – and you might be rewarded with a fireball for your trouble.
Up to 30 meteors per hour -- and maybe a fireball
Meteor fireball. Image credit: Jure Atanackov
Observers have previously reported seeing rates of up to 30 meteors per hour, but the rates for this shower have been slowly falling across the Southern Hemisphere. You should expect to see approximately six or seven meteors per hour, in the hour before dawn, and around two per hour before then. The Alpha Centaurids usually produce meteors of swift streaks, due to the meteors travelling at about 56 km/sec.
Michael Buhagiar, from Perth, observed the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower between 1969 and 1980 and listed the shower in his “Southern Hemisphere Meteor Stream List” of 1980 – but Aboriginal Australians have reported seeing meteors from the Coal Sack Nebula for much longer.
One of the best known dark nebulae in the sky, the Coal Sack Nebula is found below the Southern Cross and to the left. A dark cloud of cold gas and dust, the nebula about l,600 light-years distant from Earth and roughly 30 to 35 light-years across, and forms the head of the Emu in the Sky, an Aboriginal Australian constellation.
The Emu’s neck can be seen between the Southern Pointers (Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri) with its body stretching out across Scorpius. In their paper Australian Aboriginal Geomythology: Eyewitness Accounts of Cosmic Impacts? Ray P. Norris and Duane W. Hamacher reference how the Wardaman people of the Northern Territory tell of Utdjungon, a being who lives in the Coal Sack nebula and who casts "fiery stars" to Earth.
To find the radiant point of the Alpha Centaurids shower, look to the Pointers below The Southern Cross.
Alpha Cntaurids at 0300 on 08-02-20
Image credit: Stellarium
UPCOMING EVENTS
ASTROFEST 2021
Astrofest returns for 2021 with a free, astronomically awesome event for the whole family enjoy. Taking place at Curtin Stadium on Saturday, February 20, this astronomy festival of epic proportions will be an engaging celebration of Australian science.
As well as optical and radio telescopes observing throughout the day and night, Astrofest will feature a myriad of interesting, engaging and exciting indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family.
There will also be many different telescopes to try out, or you can bring your own for some expert advice in getting the most out of it. Bring an early supper and make yourself comfortable in the picnic area
Click here, or on the image below, for a video showing how amazing Astrofest is!
Price: FREE! Location: Curtin University Stadium Date:Â Saturday, February 20 Time: 17:30
Photos and video credit: Astronomy WA Astrofest
FIND OUT MORE
WHAT'S IN
MARCH'S NIGHT SKIES BY MATT WOODS
Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn are visible in the early morning in March.
Mercury, the messenger of the gods and first rock from the Sun, moves from Capricornus (the Sea-Goat) past Jupiter and into Aquarius during March.
Mercury also reaches its greatest elongation in the East on March 6 at 19:00 (AWST) before heading back towards the sun. Jupiter and
Saturn are still in Capricornus this month, and both planets are visible after 04:15 throughout the month.
Mars, the red planet, is visible in the early evening in Taurus (the Bull). Mars sets at 22:27 at the beginning of the month, and by the end of the month is setting at 21:36.
Uranus will be viewable in the early evening this month and is in Aries (the Ram). At the start of March, the planet sets around 21:26, and by the end of the month, it’s setting at 19:32.
Mercury near its greatest elongation in the east on 06/03/21
MOON PHASES
Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn on 15/03/21 at 05:00
All images: credit Stellarium
Mars, and Uranus on 15/03/21 at 20:00
WHAT TO SEE | MARCH
MESSIER 46 BY MATT WOODS
Messier 46 is an unusual open star cluster: It appears to have a planetary nebula (NGC2438) embedded in it.
The Messier 46 cluster is about 40 light-years across and located some 5,500 light-years away from Earth. There are an estimated 500 stars in Messier 46, and most of them are around 300 million years old — which is very young for stars.
While the planetary nebula appears to lie within M46, it's most likely unrelated to the cluster as it doesn't share the cluster's radial velocity.
The star of this planetary nebula is a white dwarf with the surface temperature of about 74,700°C
— making it one of
the hottest stars known to us.
Messier 46 on 15/03/21 at 21:00
Image Credit: Stellarium
Messier 46
Image Credit: Astro Bruce astrobruce.weebly.com
Orion Nebula on 15/01/21 at 21:00 | Image Credit: Stellarium
The Yolngu people call Orion Djulpan | Image credit: Professor Ray Norris
WHAT TO SEE
CONJUNCTIONS
BY MATT WOODS
January 11, 2021
January 17, 2021
Conjunction of the Moon,Venus and Antares at 04:30
Conjunction of the Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn at 20:00 Conjunction of the Moon, Mars and Uranus at 20:30 on 21-01-21
All images: credit Stellarium
February 24, 2021
February 9, 2021
Conjunction of the Venus, Jupiter and Saturn at 05:15
March 5, 2021 Conjunction of the Moon, Castor and Pollux at 21:00
Conjunction of Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn at 05:00
March 12, 2021 Conjunction of the Moon and Venus at 04:30
Conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter at 05:00
Conjunction of Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn at 20:00
Conjunction of the Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn at 05:15
UPCOMING EVENTS
VIRTUAL STAR PARTIES HOSTED BY MATT WOODS
Every month, Matt, POVG volunteer and master of what's up in the night sky, hosts Virtual Star Parties on Perth Observatory's YouTube channel. Tune in from the comfort of your home for this regular livestream from one of our telescopes, showing our amazing Southern sky. Join us! The virtual star party starts 20:30 (AWST). Click the links to set yourself a reminder to join the tour.
Join us - free!
Join us - free!
Join us - free!
Join us - free!
DETECTING NEAR EARTH OBJECTS
EYES IN THE SKY BY JAY CHESTERS
In 2013, a meteor entered Earth's atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, and exploded. The resulting blast injured 1,500 people. The meteor had been undetected before it entered the atmosphere.
We're good at detecting NEOs, Detlef Koschny, the ESA's Acting Head for the Planetary Defence Office, says – but we should be doing better.
Astronaut Dr Ed Lu once said, "the only thing preventing a catastrophe from a 'city-killer'-sized asteroid is blind luck."
The ESA currently has no fewer than 1,070 objects on their risk list. "In ESA we call them 'threatening objects'" Koschny says (although the agency is trying to find a better name) but they're just objects with an "impact probability larger than 0 in the next 100 years."
"Chelyabinsk showed us that [city-killer asteroids] really happen' - Detlef Koschny, European Space Agency Detlef Koschny took the time to chat to Perth Observatory about NEOs and Europe's survey telescope NEOSTEL – or Flyeye as it's better, and more affectionately, known.
"Chelyabinsk showed us that [city-killer asteroids] really happen," Koschny says, "If we discover the objects early enough, we can mitigate the threat."
When it comes to discovering them, there are currently three major telescopes surveying the sky; PanSTARRS, Catalina, and ATLAS – all funded by NASA. ESA's
Near-Earth Object Survey TELescope, currently in construction in Italy, is revolutionary – and not just in
that it will be the first not funded by NASA.
The telescope gets its "flyeye" name from how it splits images into 16 smaller sub-images to expand the field of view, similar to a fly's compound eye. This unique design will give the telescope the ability to survey most of the visible sky in one night. Better yet, the plan is for it to be one of four Flyeye telescopes monitoring the skies for NEOs.
Flyeye is designed to detect NEOs 40m and larger a few weeks before they would impact Earth. But what mitigation techniques do we have for avoiding seriously harmful impacts? For a 40m object (about the size the Tunguska object), we'd evacuate the affected area, Koschny says.
Detlef Koschny says, in the case of Chelyabinsk [about 20m in diameter], just announcing the event over the radio and TV, and telling people not to stand behind closed windows, would have been enough to avoid all those injuries.
"The international group, SMPAG (Space Mission Planning Advisory Group) chaired by ESA would prepare for a deflection mission for an object 50m or larger," he says.
The most promising deflection method is the kinetic impactor, Koschny says, a technique involving sending one or more large, highspeed spacecraft into the object's path.
NASA will try that with the DART mission, ESA is participating on with Hera [ESA's planetary defence mission]. Hera will investigate the detailed effects of the impact."
Until then, there's little need to worry. According to the Palermo scale, used by ESA's risk list for calculating the potential hazard of the impact from a near-earth object, an object with a value between −2 and 0 deserves careful monitoring.
Currently, nothing rates higher than -3.07.
NEW TRAINEES
VOLUNTEER UPDATE BY JULIE MATTHEWS
Perth Observatory is very pleased to welcome our latest group of Night Sky Tour Trainees. Our latest batch of trainees for Night Sky Tours joined us in October and have just finished their four-week Introductory Training Program.
They are very enthusiastic and have a great deal of knowledge to share with everyone. Thank you to our wonderful Training Team and all of our volunteers for making them so welcome and getting them started. Make sure you say hi to them when you next join us on a Night Sky Tour this summer!
We are still looking for volunteers for School Day Tour Presenting, Administration and Fundraising. We’re a very friendly, dynamic group and can promise you lots of different things to do. For more information
please click here -- and become a volunteer
today!
Congrats to Paul Wadham and Zoe Fraussen Perth Observatory volunteers and board members, Paul Wadham (Program Manager) and Zoe Fraussen (Events Coordinator) have been recognised by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attraction.
DBCA's Parks and Wildlife Service have honoured Paul and Zoe Outstanding Service awards at the 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award ceremony. Both Paul and Zoe have contributed thousands of hours to the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group in a variety of roles, both publicly and behind the scenes. Congratulations to you both!
PERTH OBSERVATORY
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS NIGHT SKY TOURS Join Perth Observatory's passionate volunteers over WA's warm summer nights to experience our amazing summer Southern
That's not all!
sky through a wide range of telescopes. You'll also have the chance to browse Read Matt Woods' articles to find out 'Whats
our museum and see our meteorite
Up in the Sky' or just pick a night to join us!
exhibit, historical instruments, and admire our amazing astrophotographs
At this time of year, the Small Magellanic
and artwork.
Cloud is visible in the night sky – right through to January.
Our night sky tours often sell out, so book yours in advance.
CHOOSE YOUR NIGHT FOR A TOUR Dark Sky Nights Dark sky nights are when there’s no Moon.
Fainter objects, such as globular clusters and nebulae, show up well
Sirius (the bright star sitting above the Orion constellation) is also best seen over the summer months.
Price Adult: $45.00 Concession: $30.00 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $20.00 Time: 20:30
BOOK NOW
(Please note: March tours start at 20:00)
against the darker background of a moonless sky.
Moonlit Nights Moonlit nights are when the Moon is one of the observing targets.
The best detail on the lunar surface is seen around half moon phase.
Star clusters and bright nebulae will also be visible.
Full Moon Nights Full moon nights are when a Full Moon occurs on a weekend or during a school holiday period.
BOOK AN EXCLUSIVE & PRIVATE NIGHT TOUR Book a Night Tour and the evening schedule can be tailored to your needs, with a BBQ cook top also available on request.
Perth Observatory Volunteers will take you on a grand tour of the Southern Hemisphere’s sky with a wide range of targets including galaxies, planets, nebulas, and enormous star clusters.
All complete with a tour of the museum!
FIND OUT MORE
ORION NEBULA ICE CREAM SANDWICH BY MICHELLE ASHLEY-EMILE
INGREDIENTS Arnott's Granita Biscuits 1 (414ml) can sweetened condensed milk 250g cream cheese, softened 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups heavy cream
Food colouring (black, pink, blue, and purple) 1 (340gram) bag purple candy melts (or whatever
METHOD
colour inspires you ) 3 Tablespoons coconut oil Sprinkles
Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a good amount of overhang on the sides.
Arrange the Granita biscuits on the bottom of the pan.
In the well-chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Add in heavy cream and beat on high until mixture is light and fluffy.
Divide ice cream among four bowls and dye each separately to desired shade.
Plop spoonfuls of each coloured ice cream randomly over the graham crackers until you’ve used them all up.
Use a knife to swirl the colours together, then smooth out the top.
"THE ORION NEBULA'S TEMPERATURE RANGES UP TO 9,727 DEG C! PERFECT ICE CREAM TEMPERATURE"
Arrange Granita biscuits on top. Wrap the plastic wrap over the ice cream sandwiches and freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Once ice cream sandwiches have frozen solid, remove from the pan and unwrap the plastic wrap. Using a sharp, warm knife, cut the sandwiches along the biscuit edges.
Place sandwiches on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer to firm up for 20 minutes.
Prepare a second baking sheet by lining it with wax paper. Melt the purple candy melts with the coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until smooth. Pour the sprinkles into a separate bowl.
Working quickly in batches of 3-4, dip sandwiches halfway into candy melts, then into the sprinkles, and onto the second baking sheet in the freezer.
Repeat with the rest of the sandwiches. Once the coating has set, ice cream sandwiches can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
This recipe was adapted for Australia from the website
http://www.abajillianrecipes.com/ Your sandwiches will come out round.
Image credit: A Bajillion Recipes
POVG PROJECT UPDATE
A BUSY YEAR FOR PROJECTS BY PAUL WADHAM
2020 has been a busy year for Perth Observatory's projects. The COVID-19 lockdown paused public activities at the Observatory for 13 weeks, and we used the rare peace and quiet to progress our various projects.
The POVG is currently undertaking a number of projects, some as a result of our 2018 Lotterywest grant and others resourced by the POVG.
Possibly the largest project is the refurbishment of the Perth Observatory Museum, passing from the planning phase to construction.
The basic layout is already near completion, the floor will be reinforced in January, new display stands are being fabricated, and all going well by the end of January/early February 2021 we'll start packing and temporarily storing our Museum artefacts while the new displays are installed, the final transformation is planned for March 2021.
Our maintenance team have been working on a number of significant repair and refurbishment projects. Restoration of the Lowell telescope dome, to get it rotating again after many years of quiet, has progressed steadily.
"By early 2021 we should see the Lowell Telescope return to Astronomy Research."
Restoration of the Lowell telescope dome is progressing.
Along with reinvigorated computing software and hardware, the dome is being carefully raised onto machined shims so that it can freely rotate. By early 2021 we should see the Lowell Telescope return to Astronomy Research, with Perth Observatory expanding into more research projects in the future.
The Astrograph telescope is now ready for the next stage of its refurbishment, we have begun the planning stages for the information panels inside the dome that will document the history of this iconic part of the Observatory. The Astrograph telescope's dome is also receiving the same attention as the Lowell, and it too will soon be rotating once more.
In other news, our new improved and expanded gravel carpark is now completed and will be marked with parking bays once the "Design the carpark" request to POVG members is judged and the design selected.
The final transformation of our museum is planned for March 2021.
The Photographic Glass Plates Preservation project progresses well.
Perth Observatory's Oral Histories project has also progressed well. Dr Janet Baldwin has completed the book, and printing and distribution will happen in the new year. Stay tuned for news of the book launch!
Dr Baldwin has also been working on a fairy book for Perth Observatory, and in time it will lead to a Fairy Door Trail around the site as an extension to the Kalamunda Fairy Door Trail.
Our historical clock restoration continues with the help of the TicTokDoc facility in Kelmscott. Some timepieces are currently off site and they're expected to be ready for installing into the newly redeveloped museum soon.
"Work on the Photographic Glass Plates Preservation project has performed better than expected." The Paper-Based Records Preservation project continues progressing, and work on the Photographic Glass Plates Preservation project has performed better than expected.
This project came in under budget and on time, and volunteers have continued scanning the supporting documentation for the Glass Plates. Our historical clock restoration continues
The project for the restoration of the Catts Telescope, a historic 20 inch (50.8cm) Grubb reflector that came to Australia in 1928 and was subsequently housed in the Uni Dome is in its early stages, and the Mike Candy Telescope (also known as the Comet Hunter) has been on display in the observatory museum, pending refurbishment and recommencement.
Not bad for 2020, here's to even more progress in 2021!
The Astrograph is ready for the next stage of its refurbishment,
10% of all Earth-based positions of Comet Halley were made from Perth Observatory in 1986
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUNDAY DAY TOURS Sundays are perfect to take family and friends out for a special Guided Day Tour of the Perth Observatory. Head out one weekend this summer for a beautiful drive through the Bickley Valley and join us for a special Guided Day Tour of the observatory.
From 11:00 to 15:00 on Sundays, we have two tours a day:
TOUR A at 11.30, 12.30, and 13.30 Perth Observatory stories from Mt Eliza (1896 to 1965) Tour of our museum Tour of our Meridian, Astrograph and Calver telescopes
TOUR B at 12.00, 13:00 and 14:00 Perth Observatory stories from Bickley (1966
Price Adult: $20 Concession: $10 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $5 Location: Perth Observatory Date: Sundays Time: 11:00 to 15:00
to now) Tour of our museum Tour of Worl Wangkiny Tour of our Lowell, RCOP, Obsession
There's no need to book! But please let us know in advance if you're a group of 20 or more so we can add extra volunteers on the day.
Telescopes
Come up to Bickley and see a jewel in the crown of our state’s history, learn why Perth Observatory was so important to help the growth of Western Australian, and maybe see some friendly kangaroos as well.
Find out more here:
perthobservatory.com.au/tours/sunday-daytours
FIND OUT MORE
MUNDRABILLA
Main mass of Mundrabilla meteorite, 12.4 tonnes, Western Australia Museum.
FRAGMENTS OF THE PAST BY TREVOR BULLEY
"A series of catastrophes has brought each of us to our present state. The calcium and iron atoms that form our bones and blood were forged in the crucible of stellar catastrophes." - Robert Kirschner, Harvard astrophysicist. A significant exhibit in the Perth Observatory museum is the Mundrabilla meteorite. Discovered in 1983, the 189kg fragment is one of many making up over 22 tonnes recovered in the Mundrabilla region of Western Australia.
² chunk of the Nullarbor desert near the WA/SA
Remote, sparsely populated and not easily accessible, Mundrabilla is a 6,000km
state line, bordering the Great Australian Bight. It's 1,162km from Perth and 67km west of Eucla.
Based upon analysis done in 1973 by the Max Plank Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, the impact from the Mundrabilla meteorite is estimated to be 1,000,000 years old, and cosmic ray exposure indicates the meteorite broke off from a larger asteroid mass around 200 million years ago.
Two smaller meteorite falls, Loongana Station and Premier Downs, are known to be from the same pre-atmospheric mass – due to their identical, and unusual, mineral composition. All three finds were within 60km of each other.
The story and discovery of the Mundrabilla meteorite, like the object itself, is fragmented and scattered. The word, 'Mundrabilla', is derived from Mondra Bellae, the name given their sheep station by William Stuart McGill and brothers Thomas and William Kennedy in 1872. Today, the region of Mundrabilla has a population of 23, and includes a roadhouse and a motel.
The first small fragment of the meteorite was discovered in 1911, and two more several years later, each weighing around 100g. Following this inauspicious start and decades of rumours, in 1966 two masses of 12.4 and 5.44 tonnes were found 183m apart and named Mundrabilla 1 and Mundrabilla 2 respectively.
M1 is now in the external courtyard of Boola Bardip"
"
M1, the main mass of 12.4 tonnes, is now in the external courtyard of Boola Bardip – the newly opened WA Museum in Perth -- so can be seen and touched without entering the museum. A slice and two fragments are in the museum's Origins gallery on level two of Boola Bardip.
M2 was cut in half, one 2.5 tonne piece put on display in the Adelaide museum, the rest sliced, some for analysis by the Max Planck Institute, others displayed in the Natural History Museum in London, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, and the WA and SA Museums.
Records of the exact weights of M1 and M2 vary depending upon the source, but they generally weigh between 10 and 12.4 tonnes (M1) and five to six tonnes (M2).
In 1979, a further two fragments weighing 840kg (M3) and 800kg (M4) were found 20km from the M1/M2 discovery site; they're now housed in Boola Bardip.
Perth Observatory's fragment was found in 1983 and although separate, it's considered to be part of M1. The Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin has a 300kg fragment on display, and the Albany Museum (part of WA Museum) houses a 3.5-tonne fragment, found in 1988.
A total mass of over 22 tonnes recovered makes Mundrabilla the largest meteorite found in Australia, and eighth largest in the
³ the meteorite has a calculated volume of around 3m³. The
world. Based upon this weight and a measured density of 7.56g/m
Max Planck Institute estimated its pre-atmospheric weight at 50 tonnes and based upon a calculated amount of ablation (loss of
³
mass from contact with the air molecules in the atmosphere), its original volume would have been over 6m .
The world's largest meteorite is the 60-tonne iron Hoba Meteorite, discovered in Namibia in 1920. Hoba has a volume of just over 7m³"
"
A 45kg slice of M2, held by the Smithsonian, was lent to NASA for CT analysis in 2002, to help understand alloy formation. Mundrabilla has both iron-nickel and iron sulphide that formed within a low gravity environment over billions of years. Lowtemperature superconductivity was also found in M1 in March 2018. This alloy of iridium, tin and possibly lead is evidence of an effective means of searching for naturally-occurring superconductors.
Mundrabilla is classified as an 'iron' meteorite, made mostly from iron and nickel and is the commonest kind recovered on earth, but the least common flying through space. 'Stones' are the most common meteoroids travelling in space, however, they're less commonly recovered on earth for several reasons. They weather more, are more likely to fragment on impact with Earth's atmosphere, and they're harder to distinguish from terrestrial rocks after landing. Stony irons are the least common, and while the names are descriptive, almost all contain some iron. Such is the irony of meteorite composition and classification.
'Irons' come from the core of larger asteroids, understood to result from their molten stages where the denser iron sank to the centre, like the process of planet formation. Meteorites are further categorised based upon more specific types and sub-types based upon chemistry, structure, and specific minerals. More rarely, some meteorites originate from Mars and our Moon.
"The Murchison meteorite, seen falling in 1969 and recovered in Murchison, Victoria, has been dated back 7 billion years" The Murchison meteorite seen to fall in 1969 and recovered in Murchison, Victoria, has been dated back 7 billion years. That's around 2.5 billion older than the Earth and solar system.
While the Mundrabilla meteorite is impressive, it's just a small chip off the block. Collisions and impacts have been common in the history of our solar system and presumably other planetary systems throughout the universe.
The cratered face of the Moon is testament to this ongoing Pictured: The Hoba meteorite lies on the farm of the same name, near Grootfontein, in
bombardment, and a combination of minimal erosion and no
Namibia. Because of its large mass it's never been moved from where it fell.
tectonic movement has preserved the scars on the Moon.
In contrast, on Earth, our more active surface of water and atmospheric erosion, as well as tectonic activity, has greatly reduced the evidence of strikes.
There have been five extinction events that we know of in the past 500 million years since the Cambrian explosion of diverse and complex life forms.
Only the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (formerly Cretaceous-Tertiary) 66 mya is thought to have been caused by an asteroid impact. An object between 10-80km across and weighing tens of billions of tonnes, struck the Yucatan Peninsula near the present-day town of Chicxulub, leaving a crater 200km across.
The impact almost certainly wiped out deep sea ammonites and all but some avian dinosaurs, 75% of all species, creating an ecological niche for mammals.
The Chicxulub asteroid hit the earth at 20-30 km/second and generated energy equivalent to ten billion of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
Yucatan had been covered in a layer of limestone that was converted into carbon dioxide from the Chicxulub impact, a tsunami one kilometre high raced across the Gulf of Mexico, oxygen was consumed in the aftermath of fires and fragments of the planet and asteroid rained down on Earth.
The devastation was on an unimaginable scale, and the long- term effects caused major extinctions and transformed the planet.
The history of discovery and drama of this has been described by Main mass of Mundrabilla meteorite – 12.4 tonnes. Featuring Bill Cleverly
Walter Alvarez in his 1995 book, T.Rex and the Crater of Doom.
"In 1984, a meteorite weighing half a kilo fell a few metres from two women tanning on Binningup beach, WA." In the more recent past, notable events include a meteorite that exploded above Tunguska, Siberia, in 1908, flattening trees for thousands of square kilometres. Between 50-200 metres in size, the explosion from the Tunguska Event was around a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II.
In February 2013, a 20m body exploded above the Russian town of Chelyabinsk, releasing energy 30 times that of the Hiroshima bomb, injuring 1,500 people, mostly from flying glass shattered by the resulting shock wave.
And, in 1984, a meteorite weighing half a kilo fell a few metres from two women tanning on Binningup beach in WA.
One phenomenon associated with exceptionally large and specific meteorite impact craters are tektites, molten blobs of glassy material created by instantaneously splattering molten rock. Tektites are widely scattered and even ejected from the atmosphere. Across the world, there are just four tektite strewn fields that we know of (including one from Chicxulub), each with specific ages, distribution types and distinctive shapes.
Some tektites produce unusual phenomena. Homes in Nördlingen, Germany contain countless tiny diamonds. When a meteorite smashed into a local graphite deposit, the impact created thousands of tonnes of diamonds and stone from the area was quarried and used to build homes.
The 60-tonne Hoba meteorite in Namibia, still in its landing spot, impacted 80,000years ago. Its impact speed is estimated to have been around 1,000km per hour."
"
According to the American Meteor Society, meteoroids and comets enter the Earth's atmosphere at speeds ranging from 11 to 72 km/s (40,000- 250,000km/h).
Slowed by our atmosphere, objects under seven tonnes lose all cosmic velocity and hit the ground at gravitational speeds of between 300 and 600km/h. The impact effect is also affected by the angle travelled as the meteoroid intersects with Earth.
Masses over seven tonnes retain some of their cosmic velocity, at 1,000 tonnes most is retained, and objects over 100,000 tons are not slowed at all by the atmosphere. Mundrabilla's pre-atmospheric mass is estimated to 50 tonnes, meaning a small amount of cosmic velocity should have been retained; however, no impact crater exists – so its contact speed must have been close to gravitational velocity.
The 60-tonne Hoba meteorite in Namibia, still in its landing spot, impacted 80,000 years ago, and left no crater. Its impact speed is estimated to have been around 1,000km/h.
Spend some time with the Mundrabilla meteorite, feel its surface texture, its dense massiveness – and imagine the scenario one million years ago on the barren Nullarbor, much the same as it is today. You're touching an interstellar traveller, written with the history of our solar system. The Mundrabilla meteorite presents as a rusted mass of stone and iron, yet it's an extraordinary fragment from an extraordinary past.
As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts." - Herman Melville "
MOVIE REVIEW
STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL BY MICHELLE ASHLEY-EMILE
It's Life Day, and Han Solo and Chewbacca are desperate to get back to Chewie's home planet of Kashyyyk to his waiting wife Malla, child, Lumpy, and his father, Itchy. We follow the Life Day preparation with a variety of different segments, songs, dance and special appearances. As the day continues, Malla gets increasingly worried about Chewbaccas' tardiness, while Chewie and Han outrun the Imperial Army.
Malla contacts quite a few of the original Star Wars cast to check on his whereabouts, where, in the end, they are united and celebrate the day with Luke, Leia, Han Solo, R2D2, and C3PO.
The Star Wars Holiday Special is an interesting experience. It's great seeing the original cast, but it's also uncomfortable, and at times embarrassing (ok it was all embarrassing).
The idea of a TV special is fine when the show is as campy and wholesome as The Brady Bunch, but seeing the Star Wars actors ride on the wholesome sitcom train was creepy and unsettling. Let's hope the pay was worth it.
That said, they aren't the prominent characters in this film, Han, Chewie, R2, C3PO, Leia and Luke are more cameos themselves, and the movie centres around Chewbacca's wife, father, and child.
However, it feels too centred around them and it's awkward (and annoying) sitting through and try to decipher all the Wookiee-onWookiee dialogue.
"I had no idea that Bea Arthur from The Golden Girls owned the Cantina Bar in Mos Eisley." Like all good TV specials, the storyline is based on segments and guest appearances. As it was released 5 years before I was born, the cameos are a bit hit-and-miss with familiarity.
As far as plot, it's confusing and drawn out. We move around songs, cooking demonstrations, search warrants by the Republic, and even an animation (which isn't too bad).
I also had no idea that Bea Arthur from The Golden Girls owned the Cantina Bar in Mos Eisley (her song is pretty jaw-dropping when you get to it).
But all of the cringe parts are forgotten when we hit the finale of The Star Wars Holiday Special, the biggest cringe of the whole 100 minutes, when the Life Day song is revealed and sung by Princess Leia and the original Star Wars cast, to the tune of the Star Wars theme!
It's so bad it's somewhat amazing. The Star Wars Holiday Special is so terribly bad it's become an annual cringe event in our household.
It's an absolute must-see and an important piece of Star Wars history. Not because it's any good, but because it exists.
CRACK OPEN THE EGG NOG AND WATCH THE WHOLE MOVIE HERE
RATING
&
BECAUSE IT'S SO BAD IT'S SOMEWHAT GOOD.
ALL THE FUN OF THE OBSERVATORY
2020 EVENTS
Despite several long months of COVID-19 restriction at the observatory, we still managed to host many great events in 2020! From Doctor Who, to our Full Moon Tour, and from Hallowe'en to spotting the ISS, thanks to everyone who joined us! Check out some of the photos below. We hope to see you again for more good times in the New Year. Keep an eye on our website to see what's coming up.
A BAD CASE OF METEROITE ENVY
VISITING BOOLA BARDIP BY JULIE MATTHEWS
Perth Observatory staff were given the great honour of being able to have a sneak peek of the WA Museum Boola Bardip in November. Matt Woods, Brenda Spencer, Paul Wadham and myself put on our glad rags and had three hours to see as much as we could. It was breathtaking!
An outstanding mix of modern architecture that flowed beautifully into the old. The exhibitions follow the themes of celebrating the diversity of our people, discovering Western Australia and exploring WA’s place in the world.
"I absolutely loved the Origins exhibition and had more than a little bit of meteorite envy when I saw their incredible collection." There is so much to see!
The permanent exhibitions of Ngalang Koort Booja Wirn – stories of WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; Innovations – art, music, medicine, fashion and the sciences; Stan Perron WA Treasures – this is where Otto the Blue Whale is; Reflections – our people, our stories; Changes – transforming landscapes; Origins – Land, water sky – where the Perth Observatory exhibit is located; Wildlife; Connections – our place in the world; and the two special exhibitions – Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, and Yiiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route.
The crew had trouble keeping me moving as there was just so much to see and read.
I absolutely loved the Origins exhibition and had more than a little bit of meteorite envy when I saw their incredible collection. There is even a little hammer attached to one of the meteorites so that you can hit it and hear the different sounds. There are also interactive computer screens at most of the displays which are easy to use and give loads of information.
This museum is a must-see, and I was so proud and thankful to have had a chance to explore what we could.
When you visit Boola Bardip, remember to wear your comfiest shoes and plan a full day or two to get through it all.
WHO'S WHO IN THE ZOO
The Perth Observatory Volunteer Group is based upon a traditional business model.
Headed by the Chair, the group are supported by a Board and several subgroups including Heritage, Day School Tours, Night Tours, Facilities, Research, Library and our Core Business Team. Get to know them!
DR COLIN ARMSTRONG (CHAIR) Dr Colin Armstrong was born in Bruce Rock, WA, in 1950, and at the tender age of 46, ventured into academia to support his already solid industry experiences. His studies have earned him a Bachelor of Science, a Masters by Research in Information Systems, and a PhD in Forensic Science.
Enjoying his retirement, in addition to being POVG's board chair, Colin volunteers with CSIRO's STEM Professionals in Schools program.
PAUL JONES (DEPUTY CHAIR)
DR JANET BALDWIN (SECRETARY)
KEN STRANGER (TREASURER)
In his role, Paul supports Dr Armstrong to
Janet has been Membership Secretary for
Ken has been with the POVG since 2015,
continue improving our governance and our two years, and often volunteers on Night
and says the challenges of the Treasurer
heritage program. He aims "to to ensure
Sky Tours as an AstroShop till operator, and
role, while also retaining the Facilities
we operate within a governance
is currently managing the Oral History
Coordinator role, is keeping him "off the
framework appropriate for our size but
project.
streets".
effective in keeping us out of trouble".
RHODA WILLIAMS (MEMBER)
DOUG MITCHELL (MEMBER)
ZOE FRAUSSEN (MEMBER)
Rhoda joined us in 2019 as the first
At the observatory, Doug focuses on
Zoe started volunteering at the
Gatekeeper of the Universe. Greeting day
school day tour activities. He finds
observatory in 2018, starting on doing night
visitors, Rhoda takes messages and various
teaching rewarding, but feels the
tours but quickly got distracted by School
telephone enquiries, assists in the
addition of a low-energy cattle prod
Day Tours. She says now you’ll very rarely
Astroshop and occasional night sky tours.
would be a wise investment..
see her at night unless it's an event.
STEVE EWING (MEMBER)
PAUL WADHAM (MEMBER)
DR CRAIG BOWERS (MEMBER)
Steve worked at the observatory in the
Paul is POVG's Project Manager,
Craig is POVG's Research Director and
1980s, and was enticed back in 2015,
overseeing and coordinating our projects
Honorary Historian, helping to interpret
volunteering as a telescope operator, a
-- including the Astrograph telescope
historical files and artefacts in the
host, an STO. Steve says showing people
restoration. Paul helps ensure goals and
Heritage group, and heading up our
the sky and sharing his passion is what he's
objectives are met with an efficient use of
Photographic Glass Plate Preservation
doing at Perth Observatory.
resources.
Project.
PERTH OBSERVATORY LIBRARY
ARTICLES OF INTEREST BY DR CRAIG BOWERS
The Perth Observatory Library emails out to volunteers information on recent journals, booklets and subscriptions maintained by the library. They're recently in and may be interesting to you. If any articles interest you, contact the Librarian/Archivist (or myself).
Later in this series, we'll review some of the Library books, dating back to 1820, to show how astronomy perceived the universe before some of the planets were discovered!
Nature Sept 3, 10, 17, 24 and October 1, 8, 13
September 24 snippets
BOOKS IN BRIEF The Human Cosmos
September 3 snippets
NEWS IN BRIEF Satellite Constellations will harm data - Astronomers, amateur astronomers and outreach programs will suffer.
ARTICLES Universal structure of dark matter haloes over a mass
October 1 snippets
NEWS IN FOCUS The first-ever image of a black hole is now a movie
WORK/TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS How to digitise your lab notebooks
range of 20 orders of magnitude Butterfly effect and a self-modulating El NiĂąo response to
October 8 snippets
global warming
SCIENCE AND POLITICS ARE INSEPARABLE
WORK Pandemic and panic for US graduate students
September 10 snippets
COVER Galactic Coronae, what's between the LMC and SMC?
EDITORIALS Postdocs in crisis: science risks losing the next generation
NEWS IN FOCUS Astronomers detect 'mindboggling' black hole collision
NEWS AND VIEWS A cool design for hot chips
ARTICLES The Magellanic Corona as the key to the formation of the Magellanic Stream
WORK Pandemic darkens postdocs' work and career hopes
September 17 snippets
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Giant galactic clusters presents dark-matter puzzle
NEWS AND VIEWS A planet transiting a stellar graveyard. How did a planet survive after its star died?
ARTICLE A giant planet candidate transiting a white dwarf
The impact politicians have on science funding, scholarly autonomy under threat
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Odd couple: How a pair of mismatched black holes arose
NEWS IN BRIEF Three buried lakes detected on Mars
NEWS IN FOCUS What a Joe Biden presidency would mean for five key science issues
NEWS IN FOCUS Life on Venus? Scientists hunt for the truth
NEWS & VIEWS The early onset of planet formation
ARTICLE Four annular structures in a protostellar disk less than 500,000 years old
WORK Visa bans destroy scientists' American Dreams
October 13 snippets
NATURE Why Nature supports Biden
WORLD VIEW Tired of science being ignored? Get Political
NEWS IN FOCUS Physicists launch hunt for elusive dark-matter candidate
Image credit: xkcd https://xkcd.com/2360/
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