Maryland Community Newspapers Online
Despite cloudy conditions and cold weather, an interested crowd gathered at the observatory at the University of Maryland, College Park, on Jan. 5 for a lecture on planetary nebulas and the sun's future.
Dr. Patrick Harrington, who has taught at the university for the past 41 years, took the floor Monday night to present a 35-minute lecture titled, "Is There a Planetary Nebula in the Sun's Future?"
Harrington explained that in approximately 5 billion years, the sun will evolve into a red giant star, which is a very large and bright star. As its life cycle continues, the star will eject its outer layers and eventually become a white dwarf – the very dense remains of the star's core – which begins very hot and bright, but will continue to cool off, because all fusion has ceased.
"The loss of the outer layers is usually thought to involve the formation of a planetary nebula," Harrington said.
A planetary nebula is a cloud of gas ejected from, and illuminated by, a highly evolved (old) central star. They got their name because in small telescopes, they look like planets, according to Harrington. Some famous planetary nebulas include the Rotten Egg Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, Hourglass Nebula, Cat's Eye Nebula and the Ant Nebula.
Martin Meichsner, a Washington, D.C. resident, attended Harrington's presentation. Meichsner started attending the Observatory Open Houses in November because he has "a general interest in astronomy."
Overall, Harrington was pleased with the turnout on Monday night.
The Observatory has open houses on the 5th and 20th of each month. The next presentation is scheduled for Feb. 5. Dr. Chris Reynolds will talk about "Einstein in a twist: the life and times of a spinning black hole."
Elizabeth Warner, manager of the observatory, gave the last lecture about the "International Year of Astronomy 2009," (IYA) which is a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei.
In addition to the open houses, the observatory also has free "New Telescope Owner Nights in January and an introduction to amateur astronomy during the summer," Warner said.
The New Telescope Owner Nights run from 6 to 9 p.m. and give new telescope owners the chance to work with experienced telescope users. All you have to do is contact Warner with what size and type of telescope you own and what kind of help you need. She will then schedule you for a 30 minute time slot, ensuring a small group size and more one-on-one time.
When considering your first telescope, the University of Maryland Observatory Web site advises considering the following criteria: How much do I know about astronomy? Will I still be interested in astronomy in a year or two? How much money am I willing to spend on equipment right now and in the long run?
If you are just starting out, begin by studying a handbook of the sky and observing with your eyes, according to the Observatory Web site. If the interest persists and you've learned more about astronomy, consider purchasing a pair of binoculars.
Finally, if you're still set on buying a telescope, you need to learn about the different types of telescopes to see what fits your needs (reflecting, refracting, Newtonian, Schmidt-Cassegrain, Dobsonian, etc.) Use different types of telescopes at the Observatory or local astronomy club and do some research to compare and review telescopes. When you're ready to buy, there are two shops in the area that the Observatory Web site recommends. One is Company Seven in Laurel, and the second is Hands on Optics in Damascus.
The introduction to amateur astronomy in the summer is a non-credit class designed to teach amateur observing techniques. The schedule for the introduction to amateur astronomy will be posted in May on the Observatory's Web site: www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.
Since 2009 is the "International Year of Astronomy," the Observatory will be participating in the 100 Hours of Astronomy event, which is a worldwide event scheduled for April 2 through April 5, in which the key goal will be to have as many people as possible look through a telescope, just as Galileo did 400 years ago. You can find more information about the IYA at www.astronomy2009.org.
Warner is holding a workshop at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 to coordinate IYA events with representatives from some of the local astronomy clubs and organizations. For more information on how to participate, contact Warner at warnerem@astro.umd.edu.
Contact Jordan Attebury at jattebury@gazette.net.
