[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Time for Titan


Download this month's
star chart!

This month is a great one for the ringed planet Saturn. First of all, it's currently the only planet visible in the early evening. At mid-month it rises in the east around 7pm. Still, you should wait an hour or two for it to rise above the trees or buildings which might obstruct your view of the eastern horizon. It will appear as a bright amber-colored point of light not far away from Orion the Hunter - lying between Gemini the Twins and Canis Minor, the little dog.

A look through a good pair of binoculars might reveal that Saturn doesn't look entirely round. A good backyard telescope will show you the reason why: it's all because of the beautiful rings that encircle the planet.

If you keep up to date with happenings in space, you'll no doubt be aware of the Cassini spacecraft which arrived at Saturn over the summer. It's been sending back pictures of the rings and giving us close-up views of several of Saturn's multitude of moons, including a tantalizing look at its largest moon, Titan.

Titan has long been a mystery. It is one of only four mostly rocky worlds in the solar system that hold a substantial atmosphere. The other three? Venus, Earth, and Mars. In fact, Titan's atmosphere is closer to Earth's in composition and pressure than any other.

That's not to say you'd want to step out on the surface and take a nice deep breath. Titan's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen with traces of carbon dioxide and ethane and no free oxygen as on Earth. Clouds are made of methane, not water. Surface temperature: a brisk 290°F below zero.

Astronomers have never gotten a really good look beneath Titan's thick, orange-colored clouds. Over the years there has been plenty of speculation about frigid oceans of liquid methane or ethane on the surface. Although Cassini has taken some pictures through the haze, we will get an even better look very soon!

Riding along with Cassini is the European Space Agency's Huygens probe, which will be released on December 25, for a January 14 landing on the surface of Titan. The probe is only designed to last a few hours, but that should be enough time to learn a few of Titan's secrets. Based on what we learn from Huygens, engineers hope, in the future, to build a probe capable of enduring a longer mission and learning even more about this strange world.

Laser Holidays

Get in the holiday spirit with a fun, family laser show in the Sudekum Planetarium. From December 17 through January 2, Laser Holidays features full dome laser animation, geometric patterns, and thousands of stars performing to the music of Lonnie Anderson, Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Randy Travis, Mariah Carey, and others in this fanciful celebration of the winter season.

Upcoming Star Party

Join us and the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society for our next FREE star party, set for Saturday, December 11, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at the model airplane field at Edwin Warner Park. By this time of the evening, Saturn will be well placed in the sky for observing by everyone.

This Old 'Scope

If you already have a telescope that could benefit from a little renovation or receive one as a gift during the holidays, you should attend the January meeting of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society.

The focus will be on telescope basics: from polar alignment and collimation to quick, simple, and inexpensive improvements that will increase the capability and observing value of your telescope. Join us, Thursday evening, January 20th, at 7:30 pm at the Adventure Science Center, to discover how to get the most enjoyment out of your telescope. If you plan to attend, email planetarium@adventuresci.com with the make and model of your scope so we can be prepared.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]