Observation 3.1

On Sunday, January 23rd, 7:00 PM,  I observed Orion and his belt in the middle of the Western sky. It was a very clear night and great for viewing stars. I was standing in my pastor's driveway.

Sunrise, Moonrise.

This beautiful picture is a composite of the partial solar eclipse that took place on January 4th. This is one of the few instances in which the sun and moon observably rose together. Each composite piece of the picture was taken at a  15 minute interval to show the progression of the sun across the sky. This picture was taken from Graz, Austria, right behind the clocktower. This breathtaking event was the first solar eclipse in 2011!

Sun pictures for Mr. P

http://judysolar.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/sun_solar_flare.16973421.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/06/article-1300874-0AB553CF000005DC-272_964x539.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6BFWOVIa0UI4UF6VkfySDBzyFyR8zGRwNoAMuit5wbNY1KIGRRpq0Xq7-W-U1CEeX7Svpxm5dPTLX_Vqu3GIOgczfB_28-sPOfIrv02MdAWCKtclgpCMN5-JOGhjtE0i7bjlGR9PEz2A/
http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/images/Comparison_Sun_and_earth.jpg
http://stanleyvarghese.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/solar.flare_.2005.jpg

Astronomer Biography Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Pehr_Wilhelm_Wargentin/
Dictionary of Science Biography

Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin

     Pehr Wilmelm Wargentin was a Swedish astronomer as well as demographer. He was born on Septe mber 11, 1717 and lived to be 66 years old. He deceased on December 13, 1783. The event that sparked this man's interest in astronomy was actually currently able to observed by us only a few weeks ago. It was his viewing of a total lunar eclipse at thwelve years of age that got him interested into the study of astronomy. In his younger years, he was an extremely gifted young child. He was declared smart enough to attend a university directly after his elementary years. His father however, wished that he did not loose a part of his full experience being a child and demanded that he attend middle school. This was very boring to him due to the fact that the teachers were "lacking in the education of sciences", according to him. Wargetin quit before finishing his fourth year. He was then was admitted in to the University of Uppsala, where he was very successful. There he was taught by another famous swedish astronomer, Olof Hiorter. He there received his filosofie masters degree as well as his docent. A docent is a European degree that is a little below what we know to be a professor. This meant that he was eligible to teach an astronomy course. In 1749 he replaced Pehr Elvius Jr. as secretary of the Royal swedish Academy of Sciences. This job he continued to hold through out the rest of his life, making him the very first long serving secretary of the academy. Wargentin made a very signifigant contrubution to the academy as he helped very much in leading the academy to its golden era. Wilhelm was also the first director of the Stockholm Observatory. This observatory was founded by the academy that he was a long term secretary of. Pehr diligently studied the moons of Jupiter and published a research paper in the Acta of  the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala. After his busy life of many accomplishments, he then married his wife, Christina Magdalena Raab. With this wife he had three daughters. While attempting to give birth to their fourth child, his wife Christina had a miscarriage, that tragically, was fatal. One of Wargentins post mortal accomplishments was the naming of a crater discovered on the moon after him. This crater on the surface of the moon is named Wargentin.

Skylights over Libya

In this beauttiful photograph, many stars can be observed. Our milky way galaxy can be seen in the upper right part of the image. The appeared cloudy look is caused by billions of star's lights combined together. To the left of the picture, zodaical light can be seen if looked at closely. Zodaical light is a band of light coming up from the sun that is basically dust particles that reflect photons emitted by the sun. This "dust" is given off by comets. Zodaical light may also be called a comet's "death glow". It is called by this name sometimes because the dust particles are given off when a comet begins to fall apart. Jupiter can also be seen at the very top left of this picture.

A Twilight Occultation

This picture shows the moon's occultation of Mars. In other words, the moon passed over the orbit of mars, covering mars. the word occult literally means to cover. The moon is a very very thin crescent in this picture, and only a few degrees above the horizon. Mars can also be seen as a tiny dot of light next to the middle of the sunlight side of the moon. This picture was taken in the United States, in Desoto, Kansas at twilight on Monday, December 6. Only a small band crossing over North America were able to see this lunar occultation.

M82: Galaxy with a supergalactic wind

This galaxy is informally known as the "cigar galaxy". It is 12 million light years away. It is also classified as an irregular galaxy, its shape being elliptical. A spiral galaxy passing by has recently stirred up the cigar galaxy. There is a red glowing gas that is seemingly being omitted from this strange galaxy. Particle winds from multiple stars are combining to form what is called a superwind. It can be seen using a telescope when looking toward Ursa Major. This red glow is created by ionized hydrogen and it extends about 10,000n light years from the galaxy. When the night sky is looked at using infrared light, this glaxy shows up to be the brightest galaxy.

Sisters of the dusty sky

In this picture is shown the star cluster known as the seven sisters, its more formal name the Pleiades. their name is derived from mythology, as the pleiades were seven sisters. It contains B type stars of very hot temperature. It can be seen by the naked eye as it is one of the closest star clusters to earth. The seven sisters are located in the constellation taurus. In this star cluster is the beautiful reflection nebula. This nebula is made up of interstellar grains of dust that reflect and scatter very short wavelengths of starlight.