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Potpourri Night
November 12, 2021 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Host: Randy Attwood
Shriya Naik: A review of the book: ‘Advanced Skywatching: The backyard astronomer’s guide to starhopping and exploring the universe’ A Nature Company Guide by Robert Burnham, Alan Dyer, Robert A Garfinkel, Martin George, Jeff Kanipe and David H Levy
Chris Malicki Recent observations of the proper motion of 61 Cygni
Shakeel Anwar Images of the recent November 3 aurora.
John Burgener A new 3D program to simulate comet skip impacts and the possible cause of the Carolina Bays as secondary debris impacts.
Summary: I will be presenting a new 3 Dimensional simulation of comet skip impacts and the debris tossed out by such an impact. The program focus is on the debris not the original crater. In this case, the original crater shape is not critical. Instead the focus is on the origins, paths, and landing locations and conditions of the debris. The program shows the debris being tossed from the impact, and generates the debris from random number allocations of different sizes, speeds and launch angles, and then applies gravity, Earth’s rotation, atmospheric drag, momentum until the debris particles hit the surface of Earth (or continue into space in orbit around the Sun). One can then look at any point on Earth and see the secondary craters formed from the debris, with the craters colour coded to let you know which portion of the comet hit. Also, the impact angle and speeds are listed for each secondary crater. This is a demonstration of a style of impact rarely studied, but I believe happening far more often than previously thought, and I believe the source of Lake Michigan itself which is of similar size and shape to Mars’ Orcus Patera crater. I have previously talked about my theory that Lake Michigan is a skip impact crater. This presentation is on the software simulating that event to see if it produces the Carolina Bays (It does) and showing some other simulations of skip impacts on Earth.
Brian Gibson First Light with the new Sharpstar 130mm f2.8 HNT Astrograph
I photographed the Triangulum Galaxy M33 with it from my deck in Thornbury (Bortle 4). I mounted it on an iOptron CEM40G equatorial mount. It was one of those very rare clear nights in October.
Randy Attwood A preview of the November 19 Lunar Eclipse