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The inaugural Pasadena Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS) took place over Harvest Moon weekend at the Pasadena Convention Center on September 13 and 14, 2008.  Ideally located in Old Town Pasadena, this event complemented the RTMC Astronomy Expo which takes place every Memorial Day weekend near Big Bear City, CA.  Billed as the west coast version of the North East Astronomy Forum (NEAF), over 70 manufacturers and vendors of astronomical products and science related items filled the exhibit tent.  It was truly a great opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts to come out and see the latest and greatest telescopes, mounts, CCD cameras and other related accessories that manufacturers had to offer.  Although PATS focused on public outreach and inspiring new individuals and families to take up the astronomy hobby, long time veterans were also very much welcomed.   As an added bonus, guests were treated to talks by some of the most well know professionals in the astronomy related fields.  Speakers included David Levy, discoverer of 22 comets; Story Musgrave, Space Shuttle Astronaut; John Dobson, Founder of the Sidewalk Astronomers and celebrated his birthday, Robin and Todd Mason, Film Producers – Gateway to the Universe; Scott Roberts, Astronomical Society of the Pacific – 2009 International Year of Astronomy and Gary Palmer, accomplished Solar Imager.

Celestron was one of PATS’ four main sponsors and was highly represented by dedicated employees from throughout its organization.  Those who worked the Celestron booth included Victor Aniceto, Vice President of Domestic Sales; Darren Gonzales, West Coast Sales Manager; Mark Teitelman, Technical Support Supervisor; Mark Vescera, Technical Support Representative; Yasmine Rios, Marketing Coordinator and Kevin Kawai, Community Relations Coordinator.   With a prime location facing the Exhibit Hall’s front entranceway, a steady flow of guests visited the Celestron booth throughout the 2 day event.  Celestron’s most popular products were on display which included the CPC 1100, a CGE 1100, a NexStar 8 SE, a NexStar 4 SE, an Advanced Series Computerized mount with a C8 OTA, an OMNI 102 XLT, an 80 EDF Refractor on a Heavy Duty Alt/Azm mount, NexStar 60 SLT, new Ultima and Axiom eyepiece lineups, SkyScout Personal Planetariums, SkyScout Speakers, SD cards and various other accessories.  Not only were Celestron’s telescopes the most popular at PATS, but a couple of “down to Earth” items were also well received by guests.  The Hand Held Digital Microscope and LCD Digital Microscope also stole the show with their ease of use, clear displays and cool features.  These products were especially popular with children and Science Teachers visiting our booth.   They really turned up the “wow” factor.  Over 1000 people attended the two day event.  Guests looking to purchase telescopes and astronomy related items were treated to great deals from many vendors.  It was also great seeing Celestron products used by other manufacturers and vendors as well. Tele-Vue’s West Coast Sales Representative, John Rhodes, proudly displayed the NP-127 on his brand new Celestron CGE mount.  Star Chaserz’ Norm and Laura Nasise’s displayed a Celestron CPC 1100 on their new Astrolift and Dean Koenig of Starizona, displayed his brand new HyperStar system on a Celestron NexStar 6 SE, as well as on a C11 and C14 optical tubes.  The Pasadena Convention Center is scheduled to complete expansion in 2009.   PATS will undoubtedly grow in size with larger turnouts from both guests and vendors.  With the International Year of Astronomy also taking place in 2009, which Celestron is proud to be a global sponsor, astronomy, without question, will be cast into the spotlight.  What a perfect way to bring astronomy and people together.   Celestron would like to thank Allan Guthmiller, PATS Vendor Chairman, and his staff for organizing the very first PATS event.  They couldn’t have picked a more ideal setting.  Just wait until next year after the expansion is concluded. 

The North York Astronomical Association conducted its 27th annual Starfest on August 7 - 10, 2008.  Starfest is Canada’s largest astronomical star party and is ranked among the top 7 star parties in North America and among the top 10 star parties in the world by BBC Sky at Night Magazine.  It’s estimated that well over 1000 amateur astronomers and enthusiasts from across Canada and the US converged at The River Place private campground during this year’s event.  Starfest offered a wide variety of astronomy themed activities for people of all ages interested in the cosmos - from the youngest budding astronomers to the most experienced astro-imagers.  These activities included workshops, lectures, competitions, telescope exhibitors, dealer sales, swap tables, children’s programs, astronomical movie night, buffet style dinner, door prizes and of course, telescope observing.

This year’s event was marked by clouds, heavy rains, winds, lightning and thunder, but that didn’t seem to damper the spirits of those who attended.  It was quite a sight driving into the campground area to witness a sea of motorhomes, recreational vehicles and tents strewn about the lush, rolling hillsides in less than ideal weather conditions.   Celestron’s Canadian Sales Manager, Gary Stephey and Community Relations Coordinator, Kevin Kawai, who flew out from Los Angeles, CA to Toronto for this event, were on hand to demonstrate and answer questions about Celestron’s current product lineup.  Telescopes on display included a brand new CPC 925 and an OMNI 102 XLT.  SkyMaster Binoculars, a SkyScout and the new Ultima eyepiece line rounded out the display, which were on loan from EfstonScience.  At times, the Sun popped out and the temperatures soared, but sooner or later, the ominous dark clouds reappeared and a light sprinkle began to fall off and on.  The weather pattern remained the same throughout the day.  Remarkably, at dusk, the clouds virtually disappeared and everyone rejoiced having 1 good night of observing!  A waxing crescent Moon lit up the night sky, but hardly anyone seemed to mind, as a Moonlit sky is better than having no sky at all. Right?  While taking a stroll around the telescope field, we noticed many Celestron scopes being used for visual observing, as well as for imaging.  Many advanced imagers attached high-end CCD cameras to their Celestron optical tubes and were very satisfied with the images they were producing of faint galaxies and nebulas.  Visual observing was stunning too.  Views of M11, M13, M22 through a CGE 1400 left a lasting impression - “like sparkling diamonds on black velvet” I said, as the views mimicked exactly like the description.  Periodically, a chorus of “oohs” and “did you see that?” could be heard from those lucky enough to be glancing up at the right time to catch a falling star.  I saw 4 that night, including 1 with a smoke trail.

The next day, a small low pressure system parked itself right over the Toronto area.  The clear sky we enjoyed the night before was long gone.   Heavy rains, winds, wicked lightning and thunder reared itself over Starfest.  Dealers and exhibitors quickly scrambled to cover and put away their goods.  Being from sunny and dry California, it’s been a long time since I saw rain and lightning, so there was a bit of excitement, yet I felt a bit melancholy as well.  While waiting out the storm, we had a good opportunity to meet up with long time friends such as Terence Dickinson (SkyNews Editor) and Tom Trusock (Cloudy Nights).   It was also great meeting up with Mark and Bruce from EfstonScience, Ray Khan from Khan Scope Centre, Dave Robitaille from AstroMechanics, Dr. Brady Johnson (KW Telescope) and Greg Keilty (SkyNews Publisher).   The rains continued throughout the afternoon and some campers decided to pack up and head home.  Not surprisingly, many campers stayed, despite the rains.  Gary and I knew this was a very special crowd and such a dedicated group of astronomical enthusiasts who wouldn’t let the rains ruin their Starfest!   By dinner time, several hundreds of people showed up for the buffet style meal that was served in the Main Tent.  Before long, the Raffle Prize drawing got underway to the cheers of the crowds!  Volunteers began tossing caps out into the audience, which really got the crowds going!  It was wild!  The Canadian people sure knows how to have a good time.  Celestron donated a SkyScout and a Celestron cap for the drawing, which were won by one very happy lady.  She’ll learn a lot of astronomy with her SkyScout, and we wish her many nights of clear skies.  

I’ve been to countless Star Parties in my lifetime, but Starfest 2008 was certainly the biggest of them all.  I can only imagine what the turnout would have been like under better weather conditions.  Still, I left Starfest with a lasting impression of the great hospitality, dedication and comraderie of the Canadian people who attended this event.  Astronomy is big here, and it was great to see so many Celestron supporters.  We’ll be back for next year’s event for sure, but I’m still going to leave my umbrella at home.

By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer Space.com

PASADENA, Calif. - NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander survived a fiery plunge through the Martian atmosphere Sunday to make a three-point landing on the red planet’s arctic plains, where it beamed back its first images to the delight of mission scientists.

“It looks as if the solar arrays have completely deployed, absolutely beautiful,” said Dan McCleese, chief scientist at here at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “It’s just beautiful, crystal clear images.”

The spacecraft touched down in the Vastitas Borealis plains within the Martian arctic circle, where it is slated to spend at least three months searching for water ice hidden away below the frozen surface. The descent and landing sequence went completely as planned.

“This team has performed perfectly…did you see that thing zoom down and then just touch?” said an exuberant Peter Smith, Phoenix’s principal investigator of the University of Arizona. “It’s not on a rock…it’s in a safe place.”

Mission scientists here at JPL received the signal that Phoenix had landed at around 7:53 p.m. EDT (2353 GMT) today, exactly when they expected to. (The probe’s signals take about 15 minutes to traverse the 171 million miles (275 million km) between Mars and listening stations back on Earth.)

“Phoenix has landed! Phoenix has landed!” shouted a NASA commentator as the signal was received. “Welcome to the northern plains of Mars!”

The $420-million Phoenix mission, which launched in August, is designed to dig down to the rock-hard layers of water ice thought to lie under the Martian soil in the northern arctic region. Phoenix’s arrival marked the first successful landing on Mars since NASA’s twin Spirit and Opportunity rovers bounced to a stop in 2004 and the first powered landing in more than 30 years for NASA.

The landing brings to an even 50/50 the percentage of successful and unsuccessful landing attempts on Mars (though the success rate for American landings is much higher: 6 out of 7).

“For the first time in 32 years, and only the third time in history, a JPL team has carried out a soft landing on Mars,” said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin from JPL mission control. “I couldn’t be happier to be here to witness this incredible achievement.”

Asked what is goal for Phoenix is now, Smith replied, “Get some pictures back. We want to see Mars!” At 9:50 p.m. EDT (0150 May 26 GMT) this evening, Smith got his wish, as Phoenix sent several black-and-white images of itself and the surrounding terrain through its link with the Mars Odyssey Orbiter.

Phoenix is designed to test the Martian soil and ice for signs that the water was once liquid to see if it could have created a habitable zone for microbial life at some point in the past. The instruments include a robotic arm that will scoop up dust and ice, as well as a wet chemistry lab and tiny ovens that will analyze the soil to see what compounds might be in it.

“The science team has been waiting patiently… and they are anxious to use their instruments,” said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, where Phoenix will be controlled for the majority of its mission.

Scientists were apprehensive about the craft’s seven-minute plunge through the Martian atmosphere, but each stage went completely smoothly.

“In my dreams it couldn’t go as perfectly as it went tonight, we went right down the middle,” said Phoenix mission manager Barry Goldstein at JPL, who was visibly relieved that the hardest part is over.

“We rehearsed all the problems and none of them occurred,” he added at a brief press conference just after landing.

“I was right to be optimistic,” Smith said, praising the mission team, adding that he had to grip his chair during the descent to keep from falling over.

The radio blackout that scientists thought might occur during initial descent (from the fiery plasma created by friction as the craft descended, which was predicted to possibly interfere with the radio signal) never happened. Mission controllers said they had a pool going as to how long the blackout would occur if it did occur. Goldstein made a bet that it wouldn’t.

When asked during what part of the descent controllers felt their heart in their throat the most, Ed Sedivy, the Phoenix spacecraft manager from Lockheed Martin, said, “Well, for about the past four days,” underscoring just how nervous mission scientists were about the landing.

The craft landed on flat terrain, tilted by only one quarter of a degree, meaning there were no rocks around to hinder the deployment of the solar arrays, which will provide the lander with energy for the duration of its three-month mission.

Scientists had their first linkup with Odyssey tonight, which relayed valuable information about the health of the spacecraft. These showed that the solar arrays had successfully deployed. Another image showed one of the lander’s footpads flat on the ground. Another image showed the pancake-flat Martian arctic terrain, which has never been imaged from the surface before.

Phoenix joins the two Mars Exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity on the Martian surface. Phoenix used a different technique to guide it safely to the Martian surface (using thrusters instead of airbags) than the two rovers. Until now, the technique had not been used successfully since the two Viking landers in 1976 and was last used by the ill-fated Mars Polar Lander in 1999.

by Will Dunham, Reuters

(May 16) - Astronomers are baffled after finding an exotic type of star called a pulsar apparently locked in an elongated orbit around a star much like the sun — an arrangement defying what had been known about such objects.

The rapidly spinning pulsar — an extraordinarily dense object created when a massive star exploded as a supernova — is called J1903+0327 and is located about 21,000 light years from Earth, the astronomers said.A light year is about 6 trillion miles, the distance light travels in a year.

“The big question is — how in the heck did this thing form, because it doesn’t follow our standard models of how these things form,” astronomer Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia, said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

This object is known as a millisecond pulsar because of its speedy whirl — it spins on its axis 465 times per second.

“The reason why we’re so excited about this is the impact it might have on our understanding of where the pulsars that we look at are coming from,” David Champion, an astronomer at Canada’s McGill University, told SPACE.com. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Until now, all of the ones found orbiting with another star have been doing so with a white dwarf, another type of dying star. In each case, they shared a perfectly circular orbit. But this one has a very elongated orbit around a star similar in size and composition to our sun.

“What we have found is a millisecond pulsar that is in the wrong kind of orbit around what appears to be the wrong kind of star,” astronomer David Champion of the Australia Telescope National Facility said in a statement. “Now we have to figure out how this strange system was produced.”

It was detected using a radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Pulsars are a rare type of neutron star whose strong magnetic fields channel lighthouse-like beams of light and radio waves that whirl around as the star spins.

Typical pulsars spin once a second to about 10 or 20 times a second. But millisecond pulsars spin far more rapidly.

The understanding had been that these started out as typical, slower-spinning pulsars, then built up speed after material expelled from another star reached the pulsar’s surface, giving it momentum.

“If you were to ask any astronomer if we would have found a system like this, they would have said no. So this is a very big surprise,” Ransom said.

The scientists, writing in the journal Science, speculate a third star — perhaps a neutron star or white dwarf — might be orbiting with the other two. Scientists know of about 100 pulsars in two-star, or binary, systems, and this might be the first in a triple-star system, Ransom said.

I came across this very nice video of Sun’s X-ray Jets on on NASA’s website…

Astronomers using Japan’s Hinode spacecraft have discovered that the sun is bristling with powerful “X-ray jets.” They spray out of the sun’s surface hundreds of times a day, launching blobs of hot gas as wide as North America at a top speed of two million miles per hour. These jets add significant mass to the solar wind and they may help explain a long-standing mystery of astrophysics: the superheating of the sun’s corona.

More info: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y20…