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Announcements & Features
1) Mars-LE
Treat yourself to a night of wonder- witness the perihelic opposition of Mars and a total lunar eclipse all in one night! (Saturn and Jupiter will also be up in the sky!) This event is open to the public and everyone, including Astronomy clubs from schools are welcome to join to spend this eventful night together. It will be an overnight event, however, you are free to leave at anytime you wish.
Feel free to bring your equipments along for this event and should any of you like to volunteer your equipments (e.g. telescopes), do contact Remus at remuscj@celestialportraits.com to indicate your interest and state the details of your equipment you'll be bringing. There will also be a meeting on 29 June, Friday for volunteers and more information on this meeting will be conveyed to you by Remus closer to date. Anyone who would like to offer their assistance for this event (e.g. crowd control, educating public etc) are welcome to help too!
Hope to see you there!
Date: 27 July 2018, Friday
Time: 8pm (Friday evening to Saturday Morning)
Venue: Marina South Pier Building, Rooftop (beside Marina South MRT station)
2) Starmazing Space Adventure
Calling all Astronomy and Space enthusiasts! Mark your calendars because White Sands will be holding Starmazing Space Adventure - a space-themed campaign for everyone to learn more about Astronomy through a plethora of activities, ranging from hands on activities (e.g. Space Maze) to a mass stargazing session. Co-organised and designed by 9 schools and clubs passionate for Astronomy, this event will run from 25 May, Friday to 30 June, Saturday. This event is filled with exciting and educational activities that is sure to give you an enriching and spectacular experience!
Do keep a look out for more information on this event by visiting White Sands official website here.
3) AstroChallenge 2018
Jointly organised by NUS and NTU Astronomical society, the annual Astrochallenge is back! Targetted at students from secondary schools to polytechnics, Astrochallenge hopes to deepen students’ interest and knowledge in astronomy, and also to foster closer inter-school ties with like-minded individuals with the passion for Astronomy. For those interested, do note that registration for Astrochallenge has been extended till 11 May 2018.
Date: 1,5 and 9 June
Venue: NUS, NTU
For more information on registration or on this competition, you can head down to Astrochallenge's official Facebook page here or the official website here.
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Major Astronomical Events
1) Summer solstice
The Summer Solstice will occur on the 21st of June, signifying the start of summer in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the southern solstice. The sun will be directly overhead of the tropic of cancer and in the constellation of cancer. The summer solstice will also be the longest day of 2018 in the northern hemisphere. The opposite also stays true with the shortest day of 2018 in the southern hemisphere.
2) Saturn at opposition
Fig 1. Position of Saturn in Sagittarius on 27th June
Source: in-the-sky.org
Saturn will be at opposition with the sun on the 27th of June meaning that it is being the most well placed at almost totally directly opposite the Sun. Saturn will reach its highest point in the sky during midnight at 01:09 and would be visible from 19:51 to 06:24 till the next day. Saturn will be in the constellation sagittarius and a telescope would be required for viewing to see Saturn’s rings and its moons.
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Overseas Stargazing Trips
1) 3D2N Mersing, Johor (8-9 Aug/ 7-9 Sept)
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: ~$210/pax for twin/triple-sharing (single-sharing is available upon request, additional charges apply)
Includes: Transport, accommodation, meals
For more details and registration, visit Remus' Expeditions Page.
2) Cosmocraft 2D2N Tanjong Leman, Malaysia (21- 23 Sept/ 12 -14 Oct)
Looking for a weekend retreat from your busy schedule? Come join Cosmocraft's weekend Astronomy trip to Tanjong Leman for a short yet fulfilling getaway!
For more details and registration, visit Cosmocraft's official website here.
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Talks and Events
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)
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.
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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What's up in the Sky?
On the East of the Argo Navis and the South of the Spring Triangle are the constellations of Centaurus, the Centaur, and Crux, the Southern Cross. With their deep sky objects and conveniently placed stars, these constellations have both been a delight to the eyes of many, and a navigational aid since ancient times, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. The South Celestial Pole can be found by the intersection of the line extending from Gacrux through Acrux, and the perpendicular bisector of the line between Rigil Kent and Hadar (illustrated as the turquoise lines above).
From Centaurus, one can find NGC 5662 (Cr 284), an open cluster, by tracing a line from α Cir through Rigil Kent. The open clusters NGC 5281, NGC 4609 and the Pearl Cluster (C 97), as well as the η Car nebula and its neighbouring deep sky objects can be found by drawing a line from Rigil Ken through Acrux and beyond. The open clusters NGC 5882 and NGC 5617 can also be found by looking from Rigil Kent towards ζ Lupus and Hadar respectively. Thereafter, one can find ω Cen, the brightest and largest globular cluster in the Milky Way, by extending a line from Hadar beyond ε Cen. Furthermore, by drawing a line from Hadar through Acrux, one can again find the open cluster NGC 4609 and the Running Chicken Nebula at λ Cen. The open clusters NGC 5316 and NGC 5281 (again) can be found by drawing a line between Hadar and α Mus. Moreover, one can find NGC 5460 (Cr 280), another open cluster, by tracing a line from ζ Lupi to ζ Cen. By extending the line past ζ Cen, one can also find the relatively bright galaxy Centaurus A with its distinctive dust lane.
From Crux, one can find the Jewel Box Cluster (C 94), a distinctive bright open cluster by tracing a line from Gacrux through Mimosa. Finally, one can find the Pearl Cluster (C 97) as well as the Southern Pleiades (C 102), both bright open clusters, by tracing a line from Gacrux through δ Cru. By tracing a line in the opposite direction, one can again find ω Cen.
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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