Searching for Extragalactic Supernovae

I'll soon be doing an extragalactic supernova search, monitoring a small group of 5 or 6 spiral galaxies, similar in structure, to our Milky Way, barred-spiral galaxy - in the Virgo galaxy cluster.

The Virgo Cluster of galaxies is (around) 30-50 million light-years from the "Local Group" - the Milky Way's home, galactic cluster. The Virgo galactic cluster contains a spiral galaxy, M66, in the constellation Leo. It is some 35+ million light-years distant.

Back on 11 February 1989, at around 02:15am EST, Insight Observatory Managing Member and Project Developer, Michael Petrasko, and I, independently co-discovered a supernova (SN1989b), within one of the outer spiral arms of M66 (Michael, was the actual discoverer; I just "looked"!).

The Local Group and other galaxy cluster groups. Graphic by Dale Alan Bryant.

Supernova events within any given galaxy are estimated to occur only two or three times in a century. I'll see if I can refine that estimate, somewhat, over the course of a few months of nightly or bi-nightly photographic time-exposures of the group, using one of Insight Observatory's remote astrographs (photographic telescope) - ATEO-1, or ATEO-2A. The instruments are situated in the western New Mexico region, respectively - some of the clearest and darkest skies in the world.

Typically, an SN burst is so energetic that its brilliance, temporarily, outshines the combined light of all of the billions of stars within a given galaxy. Any SN event will stand out as a tiny, bright, dot, superimposed against the overall, dim, oval blur of light of the main body of the galaxy. It is during a supernova burst that the heavy elements of our universe are forged (iron, nickel, and other heavy metals). From there, the energy of the blast disperses the elemental metals into the surrounding space including any nearby molecular clouds which ultimately condense and become planetary systems (such was the case in our "Solar" system).

This is the history of the metallic content of Earth's mantle and crust, and, its solid iron core.

Dale Alan Bryant
Senior Contributing Science Writer

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Starbase Subscription Rates Reduced!

Insight Observatory has significantly reduced its subscription rates for Starbase, Insight Observatory's image set repository. ALL image sets regardless of what imaging system was used are now ONLY $0.05 USD (cents) per imaging minute for Standard subscribers and $0.04 USD (cents) per imaging minute for Educational subscribers.

IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula in Orion processed with free image data available for download on Insight Observatory's image set repository, Starbase. Imaged on ATEO-1 and processed by Daniel Nobre.

Starbase subscription proceeds go toward funding Insight Observatory's educational outreach efforts. Log into Starbase now with your ATEO Portal credentials and you will be able to download an image set of IC 434, The Horsehead Nebula imaged on Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach, ATEO-1.

ATEO-1 with processed image data of M81 and M2 Galaxies in Ursa Major processed by Daniel Nobre and M63 - The Sunflower Galaxy in Canes Venatici processed by Utkarsh Mishra.

ATEO-1 is Insight's 16" f/3.75 Dream Aerospace Systems astrograph reflector remote telescope hosted at SkyPi Remote Observatory in the dark skies of New Mexico, USA.

ATEO-2A with processed image data of M17 - The Omega Nebula in Sagittarius, and M33 - The Triangulum Galaxy in Triangulum. Image data processed by Utkarsh Mishra. 

Other image sets available in Starbase were imaged on our affiliate remote systems, ATEO-2A, a 5" f/5.8 Williams Optics APO refractor located in New Mexico along with image sets acquired from ATEO-3, our affiliate remote telescope hosted at Deep Sky Chile located in the Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile.

ATEO-3 with processed image data of NGC 2070 - The Tarantula Nebula in Dorado (Large Magellanic Cloud) processed by Daniel Nobre, and NGC 253 - The Sculptor Galaxy in Sculptor processed by Utkarsh Mishra.

Learn more about Starbase or access Starbase here with your ATEO Portal login credentials to download your free IC 434 - Horsehead Nebula image set. New image sets are added to Starbase monthly and include calibration files.

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Featured Deep-Sky Object - The Tarantula Nebula

In this post, we feature a deep-sky target that is very popular to astrophotographers in the southern hemisphere, NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula.

NGC 2070 (also known as Caldwell 103) is a large open cluster and candidate superstar cluster forming the heart of the bright region in the center-south-east of the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is at the center of the Tarantula Nebula and produces most of the energy that makes the latter's gas and dust visible. Its central condensation is the star cluster R136, one of the most energetic star clusters known. Among its stars are many of great dimensions, including the second most massive star known, R136a1.

NGC 2070 - The Tarantula Nebula is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Image data processed by Starbase subscriber Daniel Nobre using image data provided by Franck Jobard on Insight Observatory's 12.5" f/9 Ritchey Chretien remote telescope, ATEO-3.

With an estimated diameter of 652 light-years, the Tarantula Nebula is decisively the largest star-forming region in our local group of galaxies. Even at a distance of 180,000 light-years, observers in the Southern Hemisphere can see it with the naked eye (though, it’ll look more like a small smudge). The Tarantula Nebula is so bright, was it as close to us as the Orion Nebula (1,344 light-years away), it would cast shadows on Earth and cover an area of sky several times the size of the full Moon.

Sources: Wikipedia and Sky and Telescope

Images of NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula processed by Starbase subscribers Ruben Barbosa using Ha, OIII, and RGB (left) and Utkarsh Mishra using only Ha (right).

NGC 2070 image sets are available on Insight Observatory's image set repository, Starbase. There are currently over 26 hours of image data acquired on the 12.5" f/9 Ritchey Chretien remote telescope (ATEO-3) hosted at Deep Sky Chile located in the dark skies of the Rio Hurtado Valley in Chile. These image sets in include image data with Ha 6nm, OIII, and Red, Green, and Blue filters.

Insight Observatory's 12.5" f/9 Ritchey Chretien affiliate remote telescope, ATEO-3 hosted at Deep Sky Chile in the dark skies of the Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile.

NGC 2070 - The Tarantula Nebula Starbase Image Sets Include:

• Ha 6nm - 8 Hours and 45 Minutes
• OIII - 9 Hours
• RGB - 8 Hours and 35 Minutes

26 hours and 20 minutes of image data for ONLY $78.75 USD Standard and $63.00 USD Educational.

**Each filtered image set is sold separately and includes raw, calibration, and master FITS files.

Subscribe or Sign-Up Here to Access Starbase

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The Great Conjunction of 2020

Are you ready for the Great Conjunction on December 21st? This rare astronomical event refers to when the planets Jupiter and Saturn appear close to each other in the sky. This event occurs in an approximately 20-year cycle. The approach will be very close, at a separation of only 6 arcseconds between the planets! The last time these planets appeared this close was in 1623, and the next time will be in 2080. Make sure to take the once-in-a-lifetime chance to observe Saturn and Jupiter simultaneously! The planets will be low on the south-western horizon as the sun sets, so get your, telescopes and binoculars from Orion Telescopes and Binoculars ready for this rare observing opportunity!

At the 2000 great conjunction, 20 years ago, Jupiter and Saturn were near the sun in our sky and difficult to observe. We are due for a more observable great conjunction, and we’ll get one. In November, Jupiter and Saturn were noticeable for their nearness to each other, and they were in the sky when darkness fell.

In December 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will still be easily visible. They’ll be, if anything, even more, beautiful in the western twilight shortly after sunset.

On the 21st December 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will be separated by only 6 arcminutes, the closest conjunction since 1623. Source: Sky Safari 5 Pro.

You’ll recognize Jupiter and Saturn easily from now through the end of the year. Jupiter is brighter than any star. Saturn is not as bright as Jupiter, but it’s as bright as the brightest stars and shines with a distinctive golden color. Also, Jupiter is near Saturn! Saturn is just to the east of Jupiter on the sky’s dome. Unlike the twinkling stars, Jupiter and Saturn both shine steadily.

Over the time between November 21 and the day of the conjunction itself, December 21, Jupiter will travel about 6 degrees and Saturn 3 degrees on the sky’s dome. That movement will mean that Jupiter bridges the 3-degree gap between itself and Saturn.

Whenever Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction, that is, when they have the same right ascension or celestial longitude, it is referred to as a "Great Conjunction," primarily because unlike conjunctions with the other bright planets, these two don't get together very often. The average frequency of occurrence is merely the product of their sidereal periods divided by the absolute value of their difference.

A sidereal period is defined as the time required for a celestial body within the solar system to complete one revolution with respect to the fixed stars. Saturn's period of 29.65 years multiplied by Jupiter's period of 11.86 years amounts to 351.65. Dividing this value by the difference in their sidereal periods gives us 19.76 years. So, about every 20 years, Jupiter and Saturn will have a rendezvous.

Insight Observatory's remote telescopes ATEO-1 (left) and ATEO-2A (right) will attempt to gather image data of the "Great Conjunction of 2020" from SkyPi Remote Observatory on the evening of December 21, 2020.

Insight Observatory will be attempting to acquire image data of this rare event on the evening of December 21st on its remote Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO) from SkyPi Remote Observatory in New Mexico. The conjunction will be extremely low in the southwest part of the sky from our location at SkyPi, however, we are going to give it a try. If you are interested in receiving image data, please contact us.

Sources: Earthsky.org and Space.com

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5th-Grade Students Image and Study Nebulae

Insight Observatory had the pleasure, for the third straight school year, of collaborating with Ms. Christine DeSantis' 5th-grade class at Plymouth South Elementary School located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Ms. DeSantis' students were given the assignment of imaging and studying the different types of nebulae that exist in our universe. Here is her summary of the assignment for her students...

A 5th-grade student in Ms. DeSantis's class reviews Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request (EIR) online application before submitting an image request for his nebulae research assignment.

"We are very excited to have been able to benefit from Insight Observatory’s educational outreach program, especially during this challenging process of hybrid learning! As an at-home assignment, students first visited Insight Observatory's website to learn more about the remote telescope and its location. They discussed why New Mexico was an ideal location for deep space photography and learned about other Insight Observatory remote telescope locations around the world. After this research, students choose a nebula to have photographed.

Insight Observatory's 16" f/3.7 Dream Aerospace Systems astrograph reflector (ATEO-1) remote telescope that was used by Ms. DeSantis' 5th-grade students to image supernova remnant known as M1, the Crab Nebula, IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula, and IC 1805, the Heart Nebula.

They then did a research project on their assigned nebula that included information about the three main types of nebulae, how nebulae are formed and how far away and large the nebula they chose was. This project was completed from home and then presented in class using Google Slides. The students were thrilled when their images arrived as they already knew so much about their subject.

5th-grade student researching her nebula image assignment virtually from home along with images of Westerhout 5, an emission nebula, and NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia.

After seeing their images, students discussed the immensity of distances in space and reviewed the variety and beauty of these deep-space objects. Students said that the things that they loved most about this project were the discovery of how different their own nebula could appear depending on the telescope used and the time of year it was photographed. They also were impressed that energy, gas, and dust could create such astounding beauty.

5th-grade students selected a nebula to image on ATEO-1 with NGC 7662, a planetary nebula located in the constellation Andromeda, and NGC 7023, the Iris Nebula, a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus.

Many thanks to Michael Petrasko and Insight Observatory for providing us with the astrophotography and information for this motivating and inspiring project!"

If you are an educator and would like to participate in a classroom and/or virtual project similar to this one utilizing Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO) remote telescope network, please contact us.

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