  |  | | | | November 1, 2011 ASTRONOMER'S UPDATE Building Planets One after another, discoveries of planet-forming systems around other stars are illuminating the birth of our own solar system. The auspiciously named TW Hydrae revealed an enormous cloud of water in the system's outskirts, as announced in Science magazine on October 21. A similar structure in our own, early solar system may well have been the source of the plentiful and life-giving water that we have on Earth. Two days earlier, Carol Grady of the opportunistically named firm Eureka Scientific, released images of an enormous disk of dust and gas around the sun-like star SAO 206462. Other such disks are known, but this was the first to show spiral features in it. That's what our computer simulations told us about the likely appearance of these swirling disks around the nascent star. As the disk material concentrates, it should clump further into planet-type bodies. The story of our birth is becoming clearer, even as we continue the search for Earth's twin among the stars. For further information, see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020171448.htm and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019170256.htm.
ExploraDome Takes Geologists Around the World The ExploraDome demonstrated its flexibility and powerful software at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA) in Minneapolis this past October. The interactive nature of the ExploraDome's software allowed each show to emphasize different geologic features depending on audience input. In one show, Ethiopian participants showed their research areas where the 3.5 million year old hominid skeleton "Lucy" was found. In another show, a researcher from Mozambique discussed rift patterns south of Lake Malawi.
Dr. Bob Raynolds, a geologist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, joined the ExploraDome staff to present informal shows illustrating the Earth’s setting in our galaxy and solar system, followed with an in-depth discussion of various aspects of geology. Dr. Raynolds tailored his presentations to place an "emphasis on the pivotal role of Earth sciences in helping the world’s growing population find ways … to share a slice of the global pie."
We continue to work with national and international planetarium partners to incorporate Earth science into the ExploraDome's future program offerings.
Schedule the ExploraDome for your school or group! http://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/ForGroups/Exploradome/index.htm
What Is It Like to Boil Water on Mars? The next Mars Rover is set to launch on November 25! Curiosity will make a nine-month journey, landing in August 2012. Described as a chemistry laboratory on wheels, Curiosity has instruments on board to analyze samples scooped from the soil and drilled from rocks in order to detect chemical building blocks of life (e.g., forms of carbon) and will assess what the Martian environment was like in the past. In other words, Curiosity is designed to determine Mars' habitability--did it once have the right environment to support microbial life?
What would it be like to stand next to Curiosity on Mars? You would weigh less, your day would be 39 minutes longer, and there is much less oxygen to breathe than on Earth. Learn more about the surface environment on Mars and how to mimic the Martian atmosphere by boiling cold water on this website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/mars/teachers/onmars.html
Brian Greene’s “The Fabric of the Cosmos” Begins on PBS The questions are infinite. The answers start here.
In this new four-part NOVA mini-series on PBS, acclaimed physicist and author Brian Greene takes viewers on a mind-bending reality check. Greene will journey to the frontiers of physics to see how scientists are piecing together the most complete picture yet of space, time and the universe.
With each step, audiences will discover that just beneath the surface of our everyday existence lies a world we’d hardly recognize – a startling world far stranger and more wondrous than anyone ever expected.
Time travel? Dark energy? Multiple universes? If the questions blow your mind, imagine the answers.
Starts Wednesday, November 2, 9/8c p.m. on PBS. For more information, see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/fabric-of-the-cosmos.html
Mark Your Calendars for Interesting Public Talks 1. Dr. Young-Kee Kim, Deputy Director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago.
“E=mc^2 Opening Windows on the World”
Friday, November 11, 2011 at 12:45 p.m.
Hamline University
Sundin Music Hall, 1531 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul
Free and open to the public.
http://www.hamline.edu/cla/physics/malmstrom-event.html
2. Dr. Terry Jones, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Minnesota
Formation of Elements
Café Scientifique
Tuesday, December 20, 7 p.m., doors at 6 p.m.
Bryant Lake Bowl
Cost: $5-$12 (pay what you can) Tickets available at the door.
http://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/ForAdults/CafeScientifique/index.htm
3. Dr. Brian Greene, Director of Institute for Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics and Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University
Thursday, April 19, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 20, 2012, 11 a.m.
Cost varies.
http://www.supporthclib.org/events/pen-pals/
Jupiter Still Dominates November Minnesota Skies Around 10 p.m. in November, the Big Dipper lies almost unseen, low on the northern horizon, but the famous Andromeda Galaxy is almost straight overhead. Lie on your back, use a pair of binoculars and scan the zenith to find a faint fuzzy patch that is our nearest (2.4 million light years), big (several hundred billion stars), neighbor galaxy. Without binoculars, start at the zenith and move your gaze about 10 degrees down toward the northern horizon to see the bright stars of Cassiopeia shining like an “M” in the sky. Forty degrees toward the eastern horizon from the zenith, you can see a small cluster of stars called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Face the Pleiades and 30 degrees to the left, find the bright star Capella, part of a pentagon shaped constellation called Auriga, the Charioteer. About 40 degrees southeast of the zenith shines brilliant Jupiter, the king of planets, keeping you company all night in November. Star maps can be found at http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1111.pdf
Celestial Pairings | Nov 8 (Evening) | Bright Jupiter 8 degrees below Moon | | | Nov 9 (Dawn) | Mars 2 degrees above Regulus | 6am, 45 degrees above SE horizon | | Nov 9 (Evening) | Bright Jupiter 6 degrees right of Moon | | | Nov 10 (Evening) | Pleiades 10 degrees left of Moon, Jupiter 20 degrees right of Moon | | | Nov 11 (Evening | Pleiades above Moon, Aldebaran below Moon | | | Nov 18 (5 a.m.) | Mars 12 degrees left of Moon | | | Nov 26 (5:30-6 p.m.) | Very thin crescent Moon a few degrees right of Venus | Low on SW horizon |
Resume Standard Time Be sure to set your clocks back one hour on November 6. Join Us to See Our Moon and Jupiter WHO: Minneapolis Community and Technical College at the Bell Museum
WHAT: View our Moon and Jupiter through telescopes
WHERE: Joe's Garage Restaurant, 1610 Harmon Pl, Minneapolis, 612-904-1163
WHEN: Sunday, November 6; 7 to 10 p.m.
COST: Free, no reservations required
  
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