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Special Announcements
9th International Olympiad on Astronomy & Astrophysics (IOAA)
Team Singapore did the country proud once again at the 9th IOAA held from 26th July to 3rd August in Magelang, Indonesia, clinching 1 gold medal, 1 bronze medal and 2 honorable mentions. The team also placed 6th overall, with Lee Vint Ve (RI) placing individual 4th globally. Congratulations to the team!
Left to right: Jeremy Tian (RI), Lee Vint Ve (RI), Keven Loo (HCI), Devansh Agrawal (ACS(I)), Yu Jun Shen (RI).
Metaplaneta
- Wanna challenge the common perception that "space = rocket science"?
- Wanna read space news with a Singaporean perspective?
- Wanna be part of a movement that aims to make space relevant to the masses?
Metaplaneta is a think tank that explores a multidisciplinary approach to space. By exploring how areas other than simply math/science could also play an important role in space exploration, we want to change people's perception that the space scene is exclusive to just rocket scientists.
(If you're interested in writing articles for our page too, contact us at metaplanetasg@gmail.com)
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Major Astronomical Events
1) Neptune at Opposition (1st Sep)
On the 1st of September, the blue gas giant will be at its closest to Earth and it will be fully illuminated by the Sun when it reaches opposition to the Sun. Neptune will be visible in the constellation Aquarius on the 1st between 20:45 to 5:24. It will reach its highest point at 1:06.
However, due to the distance between Neptune and Earth, even though Neptune will be at its brightest, a powerful enough telescope will be needed to view the opposition. To view Neptune’s disk plainly, one needs a 6-inch telescope at approximately 200x magnification.
2) Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (4th Sep)
In the dusk skies of September 4th, do keep a look out for Mercury, where it is at its greatest elongation, shining brightly as it would be further away from the sun’s glare. Mercury will be visible from around 19:19 to 20:40 above the western horizon. Sunset on the 4th would be at 19:04. Equipment will not be needed for viewing of Mercury, however, it would be slightly hard to spot mercury as it will rise no higher than 19° above the horizon.
Mercury on the 4th September 19:30 SGT
3) Supermoon (28th Sep)
When taking a walk on the nights of September 28th, don’t forget to look up in the sky for the Supermoon. A Supermoon occurs when the moon’s elliptical orbit is closest to earth and thus appears larger in the sky. This time, the Supermoon would be a full moon and the moon will rise in the east on 19:15 and will set the next day at 07:43 on the 29th of September.
Credit: Earthsky.org |
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Overseas Stargazing Trips
1) 3D2N Mersing, Johor (11 - 13 September)
Renowned local astrophotographer Remus leads monthly trips to Mersing for a 3D2N experience with dark skies and a chance to learn to take gorgeous astrophotographs. Join in for a relaxing yet educational getaway!
Fee: ~$180/pax
Includes: Transport and twin-sharing accommodation
For more details and registration, visit Remus' Expeditions Page.
2) 3D2N Tg Leman, Johor (18 - 20 September / 16 - 18 October)
Join Cosmocraft on a stargazing weekend to Tg Leman, Johor! Led by experienced astronomers, this immersive experience is the best introduction to the night sky.
Fee: ~$145/pax
Includes: 2-way transport, group travel insurance, 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 4-5 sharing chalet
For more details and registration, click HERE.
3) Solar Eclipse Expedition 2016 to Luwuk, Indonesia
Join members of the Singastro community in a Solar Eclipse expedition to Indonesia in March 2016! It's a rare chance to witness a total solar eclipse so close to home, so don't miss out.
More information and organizer contact details are available on the Singastro forum.
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Talks and Events
1) Science Centre Monthly Talk - Fly me to the Moon
Date: September 11th, Friday
Time: 8-8.20pm & 9-9.20pm
Venue: Science Centre Observatory Classroom
Website: http://www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx
2) Mid-Autumn Festival at Galaxy CC
Celebrate the mid-autumn festival with the re-telling of Chang'e and moon-science, all rolled into one. We have lanterns to give away, too!
Date: 26th Sept, 2015 (Saturday)
Time: 11pm (overnight)
Venue: Woodlands Galaxy CC Observatory
For more information, contact Mr Shakir Othman at theraputicanomaly@gmail.com
Regular Public Observatory Sessions
1) Galaxy Astronomy Club Observatory Sessions
The observatory known to northern SG residents, Galaxy hosts weekly Friday and Saturday observatory sessions.
Fee: $1 per entry per person / yearly membership ($10 - Passion card; $12 - non Passion card)
Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm every Friday and Saturday
Venue: Woodlands Galaxy Community Club, near Admiralty MRT station.
7:30 - 8:15pm: Urban Astronomy Series (Basic Astronomy Class)* (Milkyway Room at Lvl 5)
8:30 - 9:00pm: Tonight Sky Updates - venue: Milkyway Room at Level 5
7:30 - 9:30pm: Observatory will be open (subject to weather)
More details at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/50543565959/
2) Science Centre Observatory Sessions
Opened since 2006 to the public, it is the most well known public observatory in Singapore, located in the west of SG. Every Friday night the observatory will be opened to the public, unless it is heavily raining or if there is a risk of lightning involved.
Fee: Free
Time: 7.50pm-10pm
Venue: Singapore Science Centre, near Jurong East MRT station.
More details at: http://www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx
& https://www.facebook.com/SCOBservatory
3) Live Planetarium Shows
The Live Show is a live presentation conducted by a Science Educator. Amazing visuals are projected on the dome screen using a computer and specialised software.Choose from a selection of four equally intriguing and educational shows - "Exploring The Planets", "Cosmic Surfing", "What’s Up There?" and "Back To The Moon For Good".
Time: Varying time slots
Venue: Science Centre Omni Theatre
Website: http://www.omnitheatre.com.sg/Singapore-IMAX-Movie.html
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Volunteer Feature
Come for the sky, stay for the friends
 Pan Junwei has been an ardent fan of Astronomy since marveling at the grandeur of the night sky at home as a child of the 80s. He is a regular on stargazing trips to Mersing and helps out occasionally at the NUS Astronomical Society, with his wealth of knowledge of visual Astronomy, especially star-hopping.
We caught up with Junwei to hear his thoughts and advice for those of us newer to the hobby:
(Photo by Kelvin Ng)
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Not a lot of Singaporeans stay in Astronomy as long as you have and remain so passionate to engage others. What keeps you going?
"Making new friends who share the passion of admiring the night sky keeps me going! I've met a few here and there during trips to Mersing."
Light pollution is becoming a bigger issue in Singapore, so sidewalk sessions tend to show the same few objects again and again. What do you recommend for non-first timers to stay engaged in the hobby?
"We have to tell them about the wonderful stuff that we can see from Malaysia dark sites! A lot of people nowadays also start off with imaging (Astrophotography) right away rather than visual observing [to get around the light pollution].
It really depends on what an individual wants to achieve. For me, I [still] wish to finish my Messier list and Hershel 400, which I have yet to complete!"
What words of wisdom do you have for those of us starting out in the hobby?
"Learn and observe the sky together with kakis... it's hard to go long in this hobby solo ;-)"
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So there you have it folks - share the sky with friends and the universe is the limit!
If you're interested in visiting popular observing sites in Malaysia, stay tuned to our Overseas Trips section above for monthly expeditions.
If you know a classmate, teacher, friend or mentor who has done something cool or made a contribution to the Astronomy community, give them a shout-out! We aim to interview and feature someone new each month to spread the love.
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What's up in the Sky?
 Overhead this month is the Summer Triangle, consisting of Deneb, Altair and Vega. These stars are widely known recognized in the Chinese love story of Qi Xi (七夕) or the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (牛郎织女).
Cygnus, the Swan, is a bright constellation and can be found in the northern part of the sky. The bright star at the end of Cygnus, is Deneb, which forms one end of the Summer Triangle and is the easiest way to find Cygnus in the night sky. Albireo, or Beta Cygni, is a celebrated binary star for its contrasting hues, with a brighter orange-hued giant star and a dimmer blue-green hued star.
To the left of Cygnus is Aquila, the Eagle, also a decently bright constellation with a bright star, Altair. Lastly, Lyra is mostly a dim constellation with only Vega, its brightest star and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, bright enough to be seen in Singapore’s skies. ɛ (Epsilon) Lyrae, also known as the Double-Double, can be easily resolved through a pair of binoculars into 2 components, each a binary star system.
At the end of Lyra opposite Vega, is the Ring Nebula (M57). In addition, the Brocchi’s Cluster, also commonly known as the Coathanger can be found between Altair and Vega and the Dumbbell Nebula, M27, between Sadr and Altair.
By following the line from Vega through Deneb, one can find the Cocoon Nebula IC 5146, and beside Sadr in the direction of Altair is M29, an open cluster. Drawing a line from Sadr through Deneb is IC 1396, the Elephant Trunk Nebula.
Find out more about this month's night sky with the following handy resources:
Science Centre Observatory Star Charts
www.SkyMaps.com
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Do you have an Astronomy event you'd like us to publish? Drop us an email at contact@astronomy.sg with your event details!
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