UP Astrosoc’s Summer 2012 Application
UP Astronomical Society is now open for Summer Application!
See you this thursday, 19 April 2012 6pm at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory Moon Deck near CHE.
Get the chance to look through the largest telescope in the Philippines, Andre the Giant!
Don’t miss it! 🙂
For inquiries, please contact
Andro 09162309138
CR 09065880080
Credit: Kin Enriquez (UP Astrosoc associate member)
# # #
About UP Astrosoc…
The University of the Philippines Astronomical Society (UP Astrosoc) is a non-profit, non-political and non-partisan organization in the University of the Philippines, Diliman established in 1991. UP Astrosoc now resides at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory inside the UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City.
National Astronomy Week 2012 in the Philippines
The National Astronomy Week (NAW), which is celebrated annually every third week of February (Presidential Proclamation No. 130), falls on 20-24 February 2012 this year. The theme of this year celebration is “Viewing the Sky… Enhancing our Knowledge!”.
Lots of fun and educational activities have been prepared by different amateur astronomy groups this year which makes this year’s celebration more exciting.
Below is a list of NAW 2012 activities organized by various Philippine astronomy organizations.
For more information or for other inquiries, kindly leave a comment or visit the online pages of the respective organizations.
Clear skies and happy NAW!
# # #
PAGASA
PAGASA will celebrate the NAW with a week-long activity which will be highlighted by the following:
1. Free Planetarium Show
2. Stargazing and Telescoping Sessions
3. Star Party contest for (8) Public & Private School Science Club Members at the PAGASA
Observatory (First-come, first-serve basis)
4. Distribution of posters in Astronomy to visiting schools at the Planetarium and
Astronomical Observatory, free of charge.
Reservations for the Planetarium will be made at the PAGASA Central Office on a first-come, first-served basis.
Stargazing and telescoping sessions will be from 7:00 to 11:00 pm every night at the Astronomical Observatory, UP Compound, Diliman, Quezon City. The public, especially the students and teachers are invited to the sessions.
2012 Star Party Contest for Highschool Students
In connection with the celebration of the National Astronomy Week on 20-24 February 2012, The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), will conduct a Star Party Contest for the eight (8) Public & Private High Schools (first-come, first-served basis) on 24 February 2012 at 3:00 P.M. until dawn at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory, U.P. Compound, Diliman, Quezon City.
The contest will be open to high school students, both public and private from Metro Manila. The maximum number of contestants is nine (9) students who should be members of their Science Club and one (1) Science Adviser.
Star Party Contest Rules and Regulation will be given/discussed upon registration of the eight (8) participating schools on 24 February 2012.
Prizes at Stake:
1st Prize: P5,000.00
2nd Prize: P4,000.00
3rd Prize: P3,000.00
5 Consolation Prize: P2,000.00
Certificates of participation will be issued to all contestants.
For further inquiries, please contact Engr. Dario Dela Cruz, Chief, Space Science and Astronomy Section at telephone number 434-2715 or visit our website at http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph
# # #
Astronomical League of the Philippines (ALP)
For more inquiries on ALP NAW activities, please contact NAW Chairman / SecretaryChristopher Louie Lu at (0919) 3057176 or ALP President James Kevin Ty at (0917) 8559863 or (0922) 8999ALP (257).
# # #
Philippine Astronomical Society (PAS)
Registration for the different competitions can be done by e-mailing your confirmation together with the list of participants to pasnaw2012@yahoo.com. You may contact PAS President, Ian Allas at 09063165154 or 09391682834.
# # #
UP Astronomical Society (UP AstroSoc)
# # #
UPLB Astronomical Society (UPLB AstroSoc)
# # #
Rizal Technological University (RTU)
National Astronomy Week Celebration in RTU:
Feb. 14: Opening
Feb. 15: Planetarium Show
Feb. 16: Exhibit Day
Feb. 17: Closing
Sidereal Times Online
Sidereal Times – the official publication of the UP Astronomical Society – is now available online! 🙂
http://siderealtimes.blogspot.com
Now, anyone can get the latest information on the upcoming activities of UP Astrosoc and learn more about the latest news and updates in the wonderful field of astronomy by visiting this site.
Helpful tips and trivia for amateur astronomers were also being posted to the site by members.
The External Affairs Committee of the org (to which I once belonged) is the one in-charge of this publication.
As its former editor-in-chief, I was really glad that a site was finally launched for it and that the publication can now be accessed by more readers.
Congratulations to UP Astrosoc on this success! 🙂 Ad astra per aspera!
Third in AAPOD!
My image, “Moon-Mars Conjunction Over the Light-Polluted City” was chosen as Amateur Astronomy Picture of the Day (AAPOD) last November 22, 2011. Click on this link to view the image.
Yay! 🙂
UP AstroSoc’s Second Sem, 2011-2012 Application
UP Astronomical Society is now open for applications!
Visit our booth along AS Walk on Dec 6-9.
Apps’ Orientation will be on December 9, 2011 (Friday) 6pm at the PAGASA Observatory Moon Deck near CHE.
You can also sign-up online at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dC05c1NfdWJpTVM4ajdXSlQ4RmI5QkE6MA#gid=1
For inquiries, contact Andro at 09162309138.
See you! Ad Astra Per Aspera!
Explore the Space: Join UP AstroSoc!
SPACE definitely matters.
UP ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY will introduce you to a space beyond your imagination.
COME JOIN UP AstroSoc on its platinum year and experience a night life in wonderland. 😀
Visit the UP AstroSoc Application booth at the AS Walk (UP Diliman) from July 12-15, 2011.
Applicants’ orientation is on July 15, 2011 – 6pm
Venue: Moon Deck, PAGASA Observatory (near College of Home Economics)
For inquiries, contact Andro 09159739014 or Lei 09279748655
Ad astra per aspera!
Skywatching Highlights: April 2011
This month’s highlights:
- Saturn in the evening sky
- The 2011 Lyrid Meteor Shower
- Four Planets and a Crescent Moon in the morning sky
| Date | Event | Time (in PHT, UT+8) |
| 3 | New Moon | 22:30 |
| 5 | Saturn at Opposition
— The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. |
09:50 |
| 6 | Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun | 23:00 |
| 10 | Mercury in inferior conjunction | 04:00 |
| 11 | First Quarter Moon | 20:05 |
| 17 | Moon at perigee (nearest distance to Earth) | 14:00 |
| 18 | Full Moon | 10:45 |
| 21-22 | Lyrid Meteor Shower*
— The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower usually peaks on April 21 & 22, although some meteors can be visible from April 16 – 25. This year, the gibbous moon will hide most of the fainter meteors in its glare. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight, and be sure to find a dark viewing location far from city lights. |
|
| 22 | Mercury-Venus-Mars-Jupiter visual alignment
— Visible from April 25 to May 30 |
dawn |
| 23 | Venus at Uranus at minimum separation (0.9 degrees) | dusk |
| 25 | Last Quarter Moon | 10:45 |
| 27 | Neptune 6 degrees south of the Moon | 21:00 |
| 29 | Four Planets and Crescent Moon in the morning sky
— On the last two mornings of the month, given a clear low eastern horizon, there will be four planets and a thin crescent Moon visible just above. You will need binoculars, so cease looking when the Sun has risen. |
dawn |
| 31 | Moon at apogee (farthest distance to Earth) | 02:00 |
*Check out the following links for more info:
- Lyrids Meteor Shower – AstronomyLive.com
- Lyrids Watch 2011 – GAM 2011 Events
- Lyrids – Spacedex.com
- Lyrids – MeteorShowersOnline.com
Lyrids Quick Facts:
The red dot shows the "radiant" for the Lyrid meteor shower. The radiant is the spot in the sky that the meteors seem to fan out from. (Image courtesy of NASA)
Lyrid meteor streaks | Image credit: Wally Pacholka
A video guide on finding the constellation Lyra:
HubbleSite – Tonight’s Sky: April 2011
Clear skies to all and happy observing! 🙂
=====================
References:
- PAGASA Philippine Astronomical Diary
- Philippine Celestial Events for 2011 by PAS
- SeaSky.org
- Stellarium Planetarium Software
UP Astronomical Society’s Summer 2011 Application
- Click on image to enlarge.
Learn more about astronomy and meet fellow astronomy enthusiasts!
JOIN UP ASTROSOC!
The University of the Philippines Astronomical Society is now open for application this Summer 2011.
Currently enrolled UP Diliman students are invited to join us in our mission to promote astronomy.
For inquiries, please contact Beb at +639277086047 or Andro at +639159739014. You can also email us at upastrosociety@gmail.com
Follow UP AstroSoc on Twitter and/or like UP AstroSoc’s Facebook Fanpage to get updates.
Ad astra per aspera!
GAM 2011 Program Schedule
Wondering what projects are included in this year’s Global Astronomy Month? Check out this programs list. 🙂
Click on the links below for more information on each program.
| Date / Time | Program |
| March 24 to 4 April | Globe at Night – Northern Hemisphere |
| March 24 to 6 April | Globe at Night – Southern Hemisphere |
| 1 April | Online Messier Marathon: Observe all the Messier objects remotely |
| 1 to 8 April | International Dark Skies Week |
| 1 to 30 April | 30 Nights of StarPeace |
| 2 April | Around the Ringed Planet: Observe Saturn remotely |
| 2 to 3 April | Beatuy without Borders – Saturn Watch |
| 9 April | Global Star Party |
| 9 April | Stars for All: Observe deepsky objects remotely |
| 10 April | Opticks: A live audio-visual radio transmission performance between Earth & Moon |
| 10 and 11 April | NASA “Voyage into Deep Space” 2011 – Live Webcast with Sonification |
| 10 to 16 April | Lunar Week |
| 12 April | Walking on the Moon: Observe Moon remotely |
| 12 April | Yuri’s Night – 50th Anniversary of Human Space Flight |
| 17 April | SunDay |
| 17 April | Here Comes the Sun: Observe Sun remotely |
| 20 April | World Night in Defence of the Starlight |
| 21 to 22 April | Meteors without Borders – Lyrids Watch 2011 |
| 28 April, 20:00UT | Cosmic Concert – Online Musical Concert |
| 30 April | Write Your Name in the Sky!: Observe asteroids remotely |
| Throughout April | One Star at a Time – Fight Light Pollution |
| Throughout April | MoonDays |
| Throughout April | Astronomy without Barriers – programs for people with disabilities |
| Throughout April | Planetarian without Borders |
| Throughout April | Astropoetry for Global Astronomy Month |
| Throughout April | International Earth and Sky Photo Contest |
| Throughout April | Dark Skies Rangers |
| Throughout April | GAM Dark Skies Awareness Programs |
Register Your GAM Event Here
Spread the word and join the largest celebration of astronomy world-wide! 🙂
GAM 2011 Begins!
Global Astronomy Month 2011 has begun with events taking place worldwide.
The GAM Blog has launched. The first article , The Universe, Ours to Discover, was contributed by Astronomers Without Borders’ Founder and President Mike Simmons who describes the road from IYA2009 to GAM 2011. A great group of authors, outreach professionals and scientists have been invited to write for the GAM Blog throughout April.
Global Events so far
March 24 to 4 April — Globe at Night – Northern Hemisphere
March 24 to 6 April — Globe at Night – Southern Hemisphere
1 April — Online Messier Marathon : Observe all the Messier objects remotely
1 to 8 April — International Dark Skies Week
1 to 30 April — 30 Nights of StarPeace
2 April — Around the Ringed Planet : Observe Saturn remotely
2 to 3 April — Beatuy without Borders – Saturn Watch
Global Events Coming Soon
9 April — Global Star Party
Join amateur astronomers around the world in a 24-hour night of taking astronomy to the public!
9 April — Stars for All : Observe Deep Sky Objects Remotely
Bad weather, no telescope or through for the night? Join thousands of others observing from home through this special online remote observing event
10 to 16 April — Lunar Week
A wide range of programs, events, contests and some special surprises focusing on our closets neighbor in space. Stay tuned for more announcements.
17 April — SunDay
A project intended to raise people’s awareness of our star. What is it? How does it affect us? The different layers of the Sun, solar activity (sunspots, flares, prominences, coronal mass ejections and the solar wind), space weather, energy production, helioseismology—these are all different aspects of the Sun waiting to be discovered and understood.
See the GAM Program Schedule for all GAM Global Programs.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
For information on sponsorship opportunities for Global Astronomy Month 2011 or specific programs during GAM see the GAM Sponsorship page or contact Mike Simmons .
Register Your GAM Event Now
Let everyone know about your events for Global Astronomy Month 2011 (GAM2011).
To register your event you must be logged in to an AWB user account. Just click to register your event here. If you are not logged in you’ll be taken to a page where you can log in or create an AWB user account before going on to the event registration page.
For detailed information on how to register your event, click on the “How to Register Your Event” Instruction page.
Important Notes for Successful Registration:
- GAM events should be within the Global Astronomy Month dates of April 1-30. If you have an event outside of these dates that is part of the Global Astronomy Month celebration please contact Jennie McCormick .
- Check your Google Map “push pin” placement once your event has been registered. If it is not placed correctly, first double-check the address you have entered for errors. You can also move the pin on the Google Map until it is correctly placed.
GAM2011 Posters Available
If you have events during Global Astronomy Month, here are two posters to help you tell the public about all the exciting activities.
The posters are available for download by clicking on the above images. Or go to the GAM Resources page where you can also find other useful material such as logos, banners, stickers and more.
If you’re still thinking about how to get involved in our global celebration of astronomy, we have 10 tips for you.
Poster credits:
Original concept and final layout by Ricardo Cardoso Reis
Design by David Occhino
####
More information:
- GAM2011 Website: http://www.gam-awb.org
- StarPeace Website: http://www.starpeace.org/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/gam_awb
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gam.awb
For further information please contact:
Mike Simmons
President, Astronomers Without Borders
Chair, GAM2011 Working Group
mike@gam-awb.org
+1 818 486 7633
Thilina Heenatigala
GAM2011 Coordinator
thilina@gam-awb.org
+94 716 245 545
Oana Sandu
GAM2011 Public Relations Coordinator
oana@gam-awb.org
+40 724 024 625
Sharing the Night Sky : UP AstroSoc’s Sidewalk Astronomy
This is a long-overdue post. 😛 I was really busy during the past few weeks so I never found enough time to write a blog. Anyway…
Last February, the Filipino astronomy community celebrated the 18th National Astronomy Week, the theme for which was “Astronomy Transforming the Culture of Learning Toward Nation Building”.
As part of this major celebration, the University of the Philippines Astronomical Society (UP AstroSoc) organized two public observation events based on the concept of ‘Sidewalk Astronomy’ last February 25 at the Quezon Memorial Circle and last February 27 at the Rizal Park.
Sidewalk Astronomy refers to the activity of setting up telescopes in an urban setting for a profit or non-profit basis as an entertainment or for public education. With the coming and growth of organized amateur astronomical groups, sidewalk astronomy has become associated with public education about astronomy via free public viewing for anyone who wishes to look through the telescope.
It’s like bringing astronomy to as many people as possible through public observations. 😀
Both events started at 6:00 PM. Even though the sky was a bit cloudy throughout that week and light pollution is a huge concern when observing in urban areas, we were still lucky enough to catch glimpses of the celestial objects like Jupiter, Saturn, bright Sirius, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula through our telescopes. Unfortunately, the Moon – our favorite viewing target – did not rise until past midnight so we were not able to see it.
During the last public viewing at the Rizal Park, there were a lot of people who came by to peek through the telescopes. Most of them were families spending time together at the park. At first, it was a real challenge keeping the crowd – especially the kids – from bumping the telescopes. Everyone was too excited. 😀 Nonetheless, we soon were able to make the viewing more organized so that everyone had a chance to peek through the telescopes.
Some of my fellow orgmates also gave short lectures on skygazing using Stellarium and astronomy books to those waiting in line.
It was fun to see people enjoying the view of the night sky. 🙂 I suddenly realized that I so love the job of promoting astronomy with many people especially to the young ones; hearing about how amazed they are while looking up the sky is truly priceless. 🙂
It eventually become cloudier as the night went on. As it was already late and there was almost nothing that could be seen above except thick grey clouds, we decided to end the activity at around 11:00 PM.
The event was enjoyable! 🙂 To us, it was a really memorable way of capping off the celebration of the National Astronomy Week in the Philippines.
To my fellow amateur astronomers, I suggest that you try sidewalk astronomy, too. I have found it to be a truly rewarding experience. People are very appreciative of the effort that I and my orgmates have given and I also made new friends along the way while having a great time.
UP Astronomical Society together with RTU AstroSoc posing infront of the Rizal Monument
Thank you to everyone who joined us in this event, especially to RTU Astronomical Society and cheers to those organizations who also held their events for this year’s NAW celebration.
May the goal of sharing the night sky to everyone continuously unite us all.
Ad astra per aspera! 🙂
* * * * * *
Photos by Julee Ann Olave and Ana Geronimo of UP AstroSoc
Supermoon Image Featured in Discovery News!
My image of the Lunar Perigree or ‘Supermoon’ last March 19, 2011 just got featured in Discovery News 2011 Supermoon Readers’ Photographs. Yay! 😀
It’s included in the slideshow found on this link.
Haha, I actually didn’t submitted mine so I wonder how it got there. I just received a pingback from the page to my blog the other day that’s why I learned about it.
Ad luna!
Global Astronomy Month 2011
Save the dates – April 2011 is Global Astronomy Month!
April 2011 will again be a busy month for amateur and professional astronomers, educators and astronomy enthusiasts as Global Astronomy Month (GAM) returns for its second edition. The annual event, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, celebrates the Universe in the spirit of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 cornerstone project “100 Hours of Astronomy.”
Astronomy clubs, science centers, schools, educators, and other astronomy enthusiasts worldwide are invited to reserve dates in April 2011 for public outreach, hands-on activities, observing sessions and more while sharing the enthusiasm with others across the globe during Global Astronomy Month. Everyone is invited either to join the global programs or initiate their own activities during April 2011.
This is the second edition of GAM, after its launch last year, when Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) coordinated seven global events dedicated to remote observing, fighting light pollution, world peace, observations of the sky and cultural manifestations, as well as encouraging the organization of local events.
Join the celebration in April 2011 as Global Astronomy Month brings together thousands of passionate individuals and hundreds of organizations worldwide to share their enthusiasm in innovative new ways, connecting people through a great sense of sharing the Universe! It’s a month of celebrating Astronomers Without Borders’ motto – One People, One Sky! 😀
For information, please check out the following GAM2011 links:
- Website: http://www.gam-awb.org
- Twitter:http://twitter.com/GAM_AWB
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Astronomy-Month-2011/139709899412771
“Learn Astronomy in a Fun Way!” — Popcorn Astronomy
Get to know more about Astronomy in a more fun and interesting way through Popcorn Astronomy!
Popcorn Astronomy's logo by Ronald Buenaflor.
Like Popcorn Astronomy on Facebook!
A friend and fellow amateur astronomer from the University of the Philippines Astronomical Society (UP Astrosoc), Ronald Buenaflor coined this term to describe learning seemingly difficult astronomical concepts through an easier, interesting and “digestible” manner. According to him, “It’s like eating popcorns while looking up the sky”. Popcorn Astronomy’s Facebook page aims to share trivia and other fun stuff related to astronomy to make it more fascinating for everyone.
Astronomy is a cool science. Whether you are simply a gazer of stars or an avid student of astronomy, there is always something new to learn about our galaxy and beyond. The study of astronomy gives us essential information about the universe that is used for practical and scientific applications.
Despite astronomy being the scientific study of the heavens, you don’t have to be a scientist to be an astronomer. Anyone with the proper know-how, determination, and persistence , with or without equipment, can make contributions to the field of astronomy. In fact, astronomy is one of the fields whose body of knowledge can and is regularly enlarged by the efforts of amateurs. This is especially true when it comes to observing and documenting transient phenomena, where professional astronomers simply may not be available to observe them.
Astronomy is simply amazing that’s why I love it. 😀 It’s beautiful, it ignites our curiosity, it’s extreme, and it tells a lot about our past and future. 😀
To the stars!
Another Impact on Jupiter captured by an Amateur | 20 August 2010
A third Jupiter impact event in thirteen months has been captured by yet another diligent amateur observer.
Japanese amateur astronomer Masayuki Tachikawa caught the possible fireball event in a video at 18:22 UT on 20 August as a brief, two second, brightening near the north edge of Jupiter’s Northern Equatorial Belt. The flash, likely a small asteroid or comet burning up in Jupiter’s atmosphere, was later confirmed by another Japanese astronomer Aoki Kazu. Astronomers watching Jupiter for two rotations after the event found no trace of the impact.
The flash bears a striking resemblance to that observed by Anthony Wesley from Australia and Christopher Go from the Philippines on 3 June this year, and follows the report of a larger impact event, also observed by Wesley in July 2009, that left a dark impact scar in Jupiter’s atmosphere exactly fifteen years after the famous collision of comet Shoemaker Levy-9 with the gas giant.
The observations not only demonstrate the importance of amateur observations for monitoring our Solar System environment, but also the relative frequency of impact events still occurring in our planetary neighborhood today 😀
Below are the videos taken by Go and Tachikawa:
Journey to the Stars 