Christmas Eve Launch Planned for America's Robotic Return to the Moon

                      

Observation windows looking into the Astrobotic Clean Room, from the Moonshot Space Museum, located on Pittsburgh's Lower North Side. In this photograph, two Astrobotic technicians are working on the Peregrine Moon Lander, scheduled to be launched to the Moon Christmas Eve. This photograph was taken on the day of dedication of the Moonshot Space Museum: Saturday, 2022 October 15.

(Image Source: SpaceWatchtower Blog, Friends of the Zeiss; Photographer: Glenn A. Walsh)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

America's return to the Moon, with a robotic lander and rover, is planned for launch Christmas Eve of this year. This NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) project, the Peregrine Lander carrying 21 payloads, was built by Astrobotic Technology, Inc. of Pittsburgh and the Iris Rover was produced by Carnegie Mellon University.

Over the years, the United States has had several fly-by and orbital missions to the Moon, since the last Apollo mission, Apollo 17, left the Moon on 1972 December 14. However, Peregrine Mission One will be the first American lander and rover since the days of Apollo.

Peregrine Mission One will be launched atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida [Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41)]. This is the first flight of this particular rocket, a successor to ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles. Getting such a new rocket ready for launch, and passing NASA requirements, meant that the original May launch date slipped until December.

Launch of the Peregrine mission is scheduled for early on the morning of Christmas Eve: 1:50 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 6:50 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Sunday Morning, 2023 December 24. It was also on Christmas Eve, this time in 1968, when humans first entered orbit around another planetary body, the Earth's Moon, during the historic mission of Apollo 8.

The Peregrine Mission One launch window continues during December 25 and 26, if a launch cannot occur on Christmas Eve. Provided the launch does occur one of these three days, landing on the Moon is expected a month later: Thursday, 2024 January 25.

Internet Link to Live-Stream Web-Cast of Astrobotic Launch Near End of Blog-Post.

About an hour or so after launch, the Peregrine Lander and Iris Rover will separate from the launch vehicle and enter a Trans-lunar Injection for the beginning of the trip to the Moon. After entering a medium orbit around the Moon, landing the spacecraft will wait until early morning at the landing site: Sinus Viscositatis ('Bay of Stickiness') located at 35.25 degrees North and 40.99 degrees west on the Moon.

By landing early in the morning on the Moon, this will give the mission eight-to-ten days of operation while the Sun is shining. Once nightfall descends on the spacecraft, operations will stop and wait for the next sunrise. However, Astrobotic Founder and Chief Executive Officer John Thornton warns that with the cold of a lunar night, it is not known how that may affect the equipment; he said that India's Chandrayaan-3 Lander did not resume operation after lunar night. According to Mr. Thornton, the Moon's surface temperature varies from about +212 to +248 degrees Fahrenheit / +100 to +120 degrees Celsius in the daytime “down to liquid nitrogen cold” at night; a lot of things can break at such low nighttime temperatures.

Another NASA CLPS mission, the launch of Intuitive Machines Nova-C Lander (IM-1 Mission), was also delayed and is now scheduled to launch after the Peregrine Lander. But if the IM-1 Mission schedule holds, it may actually land on the Moon slightly before the Peregrine Lander.

The Iris Rover is a collaboration between the students, professors, and staff from Carnegie Mellon University and Astrobotic in the development of robotics technology for Outer Space. The rover name Iris is Siri spelled backwards, in honor of Carnegie Mellon University Lead Systems Engineer Siri Maley. The Iris robotic mission will be the smallest, first American, first university-built, and first student-built rover on the Earth's Moon.

Carnegie Mellon is also providing another payload called MoonArk, which Astrobotic describes as a “collaborative space project”. This sort-of space museum “embodies the arts, humanities, sciences, and technologies in a set of intricately designed objects intended to spark wonderment and discovery for future generations.”

Among the 21 payloads on this mission are instruments from NASA research centers: Ames Research Center (Moffett Federal Airfield, Silicon Valley, California), Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland), and Johnson Space Center (Houston, Texas) ---

• Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) – GSFC

• Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) – JSC

• Near InfraRed Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) – ARC

• Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) – ARC

• Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) – GSFC/European Space Agency

Other payloads include a M-42 Radiation Detector from the German Aerospace Center, as well as scientific payloads from the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Hungary. An American space company, Elysium Space, is sending the remains of people's loved ones on the spacecraft. And, scientists from the Seychelles are sending one Bit-coin.

Japan's Lunar Dream Capsule, from the company Astroscale, is described as a “time capsule”. The time capsule includes messages from 80,000 children from around the world.

A commercial spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University, Astrobotic opened a Moonshot Space Museum on Pittsburgh's Lower North Side on Saturday Morning, 2022 October 15. This new museum is located adjacent to Astrobotic's manufacturing facility. In addition to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for young people, this museum allows the general public to watch Moon rovers being constructed.

Carnegie Mellon University originated in 1900 as the Carnegie Technical Schools. It was established to provide for a technical education by famous industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Internet Link to Live-Stream Web-Cast of Astrobotic Launch ---

Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv/

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

Peregrine Mission One ---

Link 1 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/clps/astrobotic-peregrine-mission-one/

Link 2 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_Mission_One

Astrobotic Technology ---

Astrobotic: Link >>> https://www.astrobotic.com/

Peregine Mission One Update: Link >>> https://www.astrobotic.com/peregrine-mission-one-update/

Peregine Mission One Manifest: Link >>> https://www.astrobotic.com/lunar-delivery/manifest/

Carnegie Mellon Iris & MoonArk:

Link >>> https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2023/october/cmus-iris-moonark-leave-pittsburgh-en-route-to-the-moon

Related Blog-Posts ---

"Moonshot Space Museum Opens in Pittsburgh." Thur., 2022 Oct. 20.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2022/10/moonshot-space-museum-opens-in.html

Moonshot Space Museum sponsored by Astrobotic Technology.

"CMU to Build 1st Univ.-Based Space Mission Control." Mon., 2022 April 18.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2022/04/cmu-to-build-1st-univ-based-space.html

"American Lunar Society Founder on 50th Anniversary: 1st Humans Orbit Moon."

Mon., 2018 Dec. 24.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2018/12/50th-anniversary-incredible-legacy-of.html

"Library to be Established on the Moon !" Mon., 2018 May 2.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2018/05/library-to-be-established-on-moon.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss          

               Thursday, 2023 December 7.

                             Like This Post? Please Share!

More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
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Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator                                                             (For more than 50 years! - Since Monday Morning, 1972 June 12):
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium and Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of only five libraries where both construction and endowment funded by famous industrialist & philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>> http://www.planetarium.cc Buhl Observatory: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

 * Other Walsh-Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

'The Night the Stars Fell' 190 Years Ago: Beginning of Citizen Science

              

'The Night the Stars Fell', the Meteor Storm of 1833 November 13. This woodcut print was produced by a witness to this Meteor Storm, Mr. Pickering, an Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine. (Image Sources: Mr. Pickering, Wikipedia.org, By attriuted to a Mr. Pickering - The Leonids: King of the Meteor Showers, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13353173)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

“The Night the Stars Fell” was the early morning of 1833 November 13 when thousands of “Shooting Stars”, during what we now know as the annual Leonid Meteor Shower, became a Meteor Storm! A Connecticut college professor used the incident to start the first scientific study of Meteors and Meteor Showers and create the first Citizen Science Project.

In the early 19^th century, little was known about Meteors and Meteor Showers. Although Meteor Showers had been observed for centuries, most people at the time believed they were a somewhat unusual Meteorological or Weather phenomenon such as Lightning. It was only about 80 years before “The Night the Stars Fell” that Benjamin Franklin had developed the scientific connection between Lightning and Electricity. Still, Meteor Showers had been connected to rare but strange rocks falling from the sky.

It was not until 1807 when a Yale University Chemistry professor investigated a Meteorite which had fallen in Weston, Connecticut. Professor Benjamin Silliman believed the Meteorite had originated from above the atmosphere, in Outer Space. But, astronomers showed little interest in his hypothesis.

It was in the early morning hours of 1833 November 13 when people throughout the eastern United States awoke to a sky filled with bright Meteors radiating from a single point in the sky. Agnes Clerke, a Victorian Astronomy writer, wrote at the time that up-to 240,000 Meteors had been visible during the nine hours of darkness. It was later calculated that the Meteor Storm had resulted in at least 72,000 Meteors per hour!

Another Yale professor, astronomer Denison Olmsted, was one of the people, awakened by neighbors that early morning, who observed the Meteor Storm. He wanted to study the phenomenon. But, other than his own observations, he had little data to work with.

Professor Olmsted decided to seek help from the general public. As soon as the Meteor Storm dimmed with the rising Sun, he wrote a letter to the New Haven Daily Herald, asking anyone who had seen the Meteor Storm to write him with any details they remember. And in this era, most newspapers subscribed to other newspapers around the nation, so other newspapers started reprinting the professor's request.

Here is Professor Olmsted's appeal, as reprinted in Virginia's Richmond Enquirer on 1833 November 26:

“As the cause of ‘Falling Stars’ is not understood by meteorologists, it is desirable to collect all the facts attending this phenomenon, stated with as much precision as possible. The subscriber, therefore, requests to be informed of any particulars which were observed by others, respecting the time when it was first discovered, the position of the radiant point above mentioned, whether progressive or stationary, and of any other facts relative to the meteors.”

The Meteor Storm was seen by members of the general public throughout the eastern United States, specifically east of the Rocky Mountains, and from Canada to Jamaica. Soon, Professor Olmsted started receiving observation reports from all over the country.

Additionally, other newspapers started printing observation reports. The New York Evening Post ran a series of articles on the event. Although it was only seen in North America, it made news in Europe, as well. Even Abraham Lincoln commented on the Meteor Storm years later.

This Meteor Storm was also noted by Native Americans. It resulted in a peace treaty by the Cheyenne and a reset of the Lakota calendar. Indians of the American Great Plains, in their annual calendar-journals, declared 1833 the 'Year the Stars Fell'.

After sorting through many public observations crowd-sourced from all over the nation, in January of 1834 Professor Olmsted published an accurate description of the event in the American Journal of Science and Arts (published in the January – April 1834 and January 1836 editions). He noted that the event was not seen in Europe, and that the Meteors seem to have originated from the Constellation Leo the Lion. He determined that the event was not a local affair, but was visible over a wide area of the country. He hypothesized that the Meteors came from a cloud of particles in Outer Space and fell to Earth from the influence of gravity. He concluded that Meteor Showers came in annual cycles, from a body with a very elongated orbit around the Sun. His calculations of the speed and altitude of the Meteors were nearly correct.

This Meteor Storm repeated in Europe 33 years later when hundreds of Meteors per minute were seen (a few thousand per hour). It was around this time that astronomers were able to make the connection between these Meteors and Comet Tempel-Tuttle, hence the first understanding that Meteor Showers originated from Comets.

A Meteor Shower normally consists of dust particles related to a Comet. Each time a Comet approaches the Sun, the Comet loses dust particles following the melting or sublimating of ice on the Comet. These dust particles, called Meteoroids, continue to follow the same orbit as the parent Comet and then form a Meteoroid Stream. Each year, as the Earth orbits the Sun, the Earth passes through several of these Meteoroid Streams, becoming Earth's Meteor Showers.

The Earth's gravity attracts many of these Meteoroids and they fall to Earth; then, they are viewed by people as Meteors as they burn-up in the atmosphere. Most are extremely small and burn-up completely. From time-to-time, larger particles enter the atmosphere and create brilliant displays known as Fireballs or Bolides. If these particles are large enough, they may not completely burn-up and land on Earth as a Meteorite.

While the historic Meteor Storm occurred on November 13 of 1833, today the Leonid Meteor Shower usually peaks around November 17 or 18. In 2023, the Leonid Meteor Shower peaks early on Saturday Morning, November 18 at 1:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 6:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This year, the Zenithal Hourly Rate at the peak time is predicted to be 20 Meteors per hour.

Actually, another smaller Meteor Shower, the Northern Taurids (which originated from Asteroid 2004 TG, which seems to be a large fragment of Comet Enke which originated the Southern Taurids, which peaked November 5 to 6), peaks early this morning (2023 November 13). The official peak was actually Sunday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST / November 13 at 0:00 UTC. The Zenithal Hourly Rate at the peak time is predicted to be 5 Meteors per hour. Although, it is best to look for these Meteors much later into the evening and early morning.

Binoculars and telescopes are of little use in finding Meteors. Meteors flash across the sky much too quickly to aim binoculars or a telescope.

Your eyes will need to be dark-adapted about a half-hour before you start looking for Meteors; otherwise you may miss dim Meteors. So, try to get outside in the dark ahead of the time you wish to start observing. Also, try not to look at your cellular telephone while observing Meteors; the light from your phone could disrupt your dark-adapted eyes.

For most Meteor Showers, the best time to watch is between local Midnight and Dawn, when the Earth is rotating into the Meteor Shower. This is true, despite the actual predicted time of peak Meteors.

Although Meteors usually radiate from a single spot or radiant in the sky (for the Leonids: Constellation Leo the Lion and for the North Taurids: Constellation Taurus the Bull), it is not necessarily the best strategy to only look at a particular constellation. Meteors, even during a Meteor Shower, can appear in any part of the sky at any time. In fact, watching for Meteors only near a radiant would usually mean viewing shorter Meteor trails and seeing a Meteor for a shorter period of time.

To view Meteors, you want to find a good viewing site, away from city lights and as high an elevation as possible (a site with few objects obstructing the Horizon, such as hills, trees, or buildings). City lights will tend to drown-out the many dimmer Meteors, as will a bright Moon phase that shines much of the night and early morning.

Fortunately, the brightness of the Moon will not be a problem this week. The Primary Moon Phase of New Moon (Lunation #1248) occurs on Monday Morning, 2023 November 13 at 4:27 a.m. EST / 9:27 UTC.

The best way to view a Meteor Shower is to lie down on a beach or lawn chair, beach towel, sheet, or blanket. Then continue to scan the entire sky to search for Meteors.

Of course, Meteor watching is always weather-permitting. Even a few clouds in the sky could cut down on the number of Meteors visible.

If you live in the northern latitudes, this time of year you will want to be sure to be prepared for colder temperatures in the early morning hours. Be sure to check the weather forecast, for the area from where you plan to observe from, by checking with the local NOAA Weather Radio, local radio or television, or a weather app on your cellular telephone.

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

Meteor: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteors

Meteoroid: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid

Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_shower

Leonid Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonids

Northern & Southern Taurid Meteor Showers: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurids

Denison Olmsted: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denison_Olmsted

Citizen Science Projects: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/citizenscience.html

Related Blog-Posts ---

"Fireballs Possible As Meteor Shower Peaks Wed. & Thur. Nights." Wed., 2015 Nov. 11. (Northern Taurid Meteor Shower)

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/11/fireballs-possible-as-meteor-shower.html

Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight." Mon., 2014 Nov. 17.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/11/leonid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss          

               Monday, 2023 November 13.

                             Like This Post? Please Share!

More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator (For more than 50 years! - Since Monday Morning, 1972 June 12):
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium and Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of only five libraries where both construction and endowment funded by famous industrialist & philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>> http://www.planetarium.cc Buhl Observatory: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

 * Other Walsh-Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

Centennial: Projection Planetarium

       

                                           

These photographs show the two earliest versions of the Zeiss Planetarium Projector. The first image shows the very first projector, the Zeiss Mark I, which was introduced at the Deutsches Museum in Munich 100 years ago today. The second image, the Zeiss Mark II, operated in the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in Pittsburgh from 1939 to 1991 and was the first planetarium projector placed on an elevator.

(Image Sources --- Zeiss Mark I: Wikipedia.org; Zeiss Mark II: History of Buhl Planetarium Internet Web-site)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Today (2023 October 21) marks the centennial of the planetarium projector, which made its debut at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany on 1923 October 21. This means of displaying the motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars of the sky, without any concern for inclement weather, quickly developed in cities around the world.

The concept of a projection planetarium was first conceived on 1914 February 24 at a meeting of staff scientists of the Carl Zeiss Company in Jena, Germany. Due to delays caused by the First World War, the first actual planetarium projector would not be produced until nearly a decade later.

The idea came as a solution to a problem brought on by a request from a client, Oskar von Miller. Mr. von Miller, a well-known German engineer, had spearheaded the establishment of the first modern-type science and technology museum, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, which opened to the public on 1906 November 12. In 1913, German Astronomer Max Wolf, former Director of the Baden Observatory in Heidelberg, urged Mr. von Miller to include, in the Deutsches Museum, a way to realistically reproduce the night sky, in detail, including the motions of the planets.

Also in 1913 (before Chicago's Adler Planetarium opened in 1930), a large-scale, mechanical celestial sphere, called the Atwood Sphere, opened to the public in the Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences (today, it is displayed in the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum). In a mechanical celestial sphere, a small number of people would enter an enclosure where light from outside the enclosure would twinkle through small holes in the sphere, as a display of stars that could be seen outdoors; additionally, the sphere would spin around the viewers demonstrating star movement. The concept of a mechanical celestial sphere, large enough to accommodate at least ten people, dates back to 1664 when the Globe of Gottorf was installed in the Kunstkammer Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Mr. von Miller wanted a mechanical celestial sphere for the Deutsches Museum. However, he asked that the Carl Zeiss scientists find a way to also display the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets in the celestial sphere, something that was not included in previous spheres.

Two Carl Zeiss scientists, Walther Bauersfeld and Rudolf Straubel, offered an alternative on 1914 February 24: replace the small celestial sphere with a giant hemispheric dome, and use a bright central lamp to project the planets and stars onto the dome-sky.

In addition to being the first concept for a projection planetarium, it was also the first concept of a true, large-scale planetarium. Except for a small-scale Orrery, the previous celestial spheres had no way to demonstrate the motions of the planets.

A very primitive projection planetarium had been invented in 1912 by Professor E. Hindermann in Basel, Switzerland. Called an Orbitoscope, this spring-driven instrument included only two planets orbiting a Sun. A small light bulb on one planet projected shadows on the other two objects, accurately displaying retrograde loops and speed changes, but not much else.

Well after the end of World War I, the Carl Zeiss Company first demonstrated a large-scale projection planetarium in August of 1923, in a 16-meter dome set-up on the company's factory roof in Jena. The Zeiss Model I, known as the “Wonder of Jena,” was then dismantled and shipped to the Deutsches Museum.

On 1923 October 21, Mr. Bauersfeld, the Carl Zeiss Company Chief Design Engineer, demonstrated the Zeiss I in a program for invited guests at the Deutsches Museum. As the first public planetarium show, the professional and public reaction was enthusiastic. The planetarium projector was then returned to the Jena factory for finishing touches, and then permanently installed in the Munich museum on 1925 May 7.

This new educational tool greatly impressed scientists and civic leaders in Germany, resulting in six other German cities receiving Zeiss planetarium projectors by the end of 1926. By 1930, five more German cities had projectors. A much improved Zeiss Model II soon superseded the Zeiss I.

In 1927, the first Zeiss projector outside of Germany was installed in Vienna, and then a projector was installed in Rome in 1928 and one in Moscow in 1929. Other European cities to receive planetarium projectors from the Carl Zeiss Company, prior to World War II, included Stockholm (1930), Milan (1930), and Paris (1937). The first Asian planetarium projectors appeared in Osaka in 1937 and Tokyo in 1938.

Five Zeiss planetarium projectors were installed in America prior to World War II. The first came to the new Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago in 1930. Founded by Chicago business leader Max Adler, the institution is part of Chicago's Museum Campus, which includes the Field Natural History Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. A visit in 1930 by Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh co-founder Leo Scanlon, and other members of the club, inspired the club to lobby for a planetarium to be built in Pittsburgh.

During a Web Seminar on 2020 September 3, Mike Smail, Director of Theaters and Digital Experience at the Adler Planetarium, announced that America's oldest planetarium projector had been found in storage in central Ohio and recovered. The author, Glenn A. Walsh, is proud to have assisted in the resolution regarding the mystery of what had been a missing historic projector.

The second U.S. planetarium, the Fels Planetarium, was installed as part of Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in 1933; the planetarium opened two months before the Franklin Institute Science Museum was completed in 1934. It is said that Samuel S. Fels, the soap company president and philanthropist who funded the planetarium, missed the debut performance in Fels Planetarium. He was late and refused to be seated late, as he felt nothing should interrupt a planetarium show once it has begun!

Two American planetaria opened in 1935. On May 14, Griffith Observatory and Planetarium opened in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. While the large planetarium dome is in the center of the facility, two smaller observatory domes are on the east and west sides of the building. The east dome houses a 12-inch Zeiss refractor telescope, one of the earliest public observatories; solar telescopes are housed in the west dome, with a coelostat which sends the images to the public exhibit gallery. Located on a high hill just above Hollywood, Griffith Observatory has been included in numerous motion pictures (including James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause) and television programs (including Star Trek: Voyager).

Hayden Planetarium opened in New York City's long-established American Museum of Natural History on 1935 October 3. After a very controversial renovation, which included the demolition of the original Hayden Planetarium building, the new Hayden Planetarium opened as part of the much larger and more impressive Rose Center for Earth and Space in 2000. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, nationally known as a host of PBS science programs, is the long-time Director of the Hayden Planetarium.

Also in 1935, the Buhl Foundation committed to building a planetarium in Pittsburgh, in memory of department store co-founder Henry Buhl, Jr. Opened in 1939, Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science included five public galleries of exhibits of the physical sciences, and even one life science presentation. A public observatory, with a rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-type refractor telescope, was added in 1941.

Buhl Planetarium's Zeiss II Planetarium Projector was the first planetarium projector to be placed on an elevator (a special worm-gear elevator custom-built by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company), and the Theater of the Stars was the first planetarium theater to include a permanent theatrical stage and a special sound system for the hearing-impaired. Buhl used their Zeiss II, with no major modifications, until the building closed as a public museum in 1991. The Zeiss II is now on public exhibit, but not in use, in Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center, where the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory now utilizes a full-dome, digital projection system.

Two American-built star projectors are of special note. In 1937, the Korkosz brothers installed a projector, which projects 9,500 stars but no planets, in the Springfield Museum of Science in Springfield, Massachusetts. Including a major restoration in 1996, the staff of the Springfield Museum of Science have lovingly maintained this historic projector, which continues providing astronomy education to young and old alike, to this day!

After World War II, neither Zeiss factory in war-torn Germany was capable of producing planetarium projectors for several years. Thus, the California Academy of Sciences decided to build a one-of-a-kind planetarium projector for the Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco, which opened in 1952. Today, Morrison Planetarium claims to have one of the world's largest all-digital planetarium theaters.

With the post-war boom in America, many new educational facilities were constructed in the second half of the 20^th century, including new planetaria, science museums, and public libraries. New technology has changed the planetarium experience and increased the educational capabilities of planetaria. Likewise, planetarium-type computer programs have brought the planetarium experience to school and home computers, and even to hand-held smart telephones.

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

Planetarium: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetarium

Centennial of the Planetarium (International Planetarium Society):

Link >>> https://planetarium100.org/

Related Blog-Posts ---

"Mystery Solved! Oldest U.S. Planetarium Projector Found & Recovered." Fri, 2020 Sept. 18.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2020/09/mystery-solved-oldest-us-planetarium.html

"100 Years Ago: Planetarium Concept Born." Mon., 2014 Feb. 24.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/02/100-years-ago-planetarium-concept-born.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss

               © Copyright 2023 Glenn A. Walsh, All Rights Reserved

               Saturday, 2023 October 21

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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator                                                            (For more than 50 years! - Since Monday Morning, 1972 June 12):
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium and Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of only five libraries where both construction and endowment funded by famous industrialist & philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>> http://www.planetarium.cc Buhl Observatory: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

 * Other Walsh-Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

Annular Solar Eclipse Mid-Day Saturday w/ Live-Stream Web-Casts

 

NO ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE / ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, NOR THE PARTIAL PHASES OF ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, IS SAFE TO LOOK AT DIRECTLY, UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND PROPER TRAINING TO DO SO SAFELY. OTHERWISE EYE-SIGHT COULD BE DAMAGED PERMANENTLY !!! This graphic shows one way to safely view an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun, or the partial phases of any Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun, by building a Solar Pinhole Viewing Box (a.k.a. Pinhole Camera) as shown above. After building this box,you must turn your back to the Sun and allow the light from the Sun to go through the pinhole and shine on a white piece of paper on the other end of the box (NEVER LOOK THROUGH THE PINHOLE AT THE SUN!).
[Graphic Source: Eric G. Canali, former Floor Operations Manager of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center - America's 5th major planetarium & Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991) and Founder of of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club]

More Tips for Safely Observing a Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun:  Link>>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/soleclipse/solareclipseviewingtips.html

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Saturday morning and afternoon an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun will be visible (weather-permitting) over a wide area of the American West, as well as parts of Central America and South America. An even larger area of the United States (except the Northeastern United States), western Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean area, and more than half of South America will experience a Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun.

NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND PROPER TRAINING TO DO SO SAFELY; OTHERWISE EYE-SIGHT COULD BE DAMAGED PERMANENTLY !!! I

IN PARTICULAR, WITH THIS ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE / ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, AND PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE / PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, THERE IS NO TIME WHEN THIS ECLIPSE CAN VIEWED SAFELY WITHOUT PROPER EYE PROTECTION !!!

Live-stream Web-casts of this Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun will be available for people not within the path of this eclipse, inclement weather prevents direct viewing, or people and families want an absolute safe way to view this eclipse event. Internet links to Live-stream Web-casts are located near the end of this blog-post.

WHAT IS ---

A Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun ?

A Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth and part or all of the lunar shadow falls on a portion of our planet. This is the type of eclipse that is dangerous to eye-sight to view directly, unless you have the proper equipment and proper training to do so safely.

An Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun ?

An Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun is somewhat similar to a Total Solar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Sun. However, unlike a Total Solar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Sun, the Sun is never completely covered by the Moon during an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun.

During an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun, the Moon blocks-out the vast majority of the Sun, except for the extremely bright edge of the solar disk. Hence, this type of eclipse is often referred to as a “Ring-of-Fire” Solar Eclipse, as the bright edge appears as a ring-of-fire around the dark Moon.

The reason an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun does not completely block-out the Sun's light, as does a Total Solar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Sun, is because during an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun the Moon is farther from Earth than normal and appears a little smaller as viewed from Earth. Hence, the Moon is too far, and appears too small, to block-out the entire solar disk.

A Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun ?

A Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun occurs when only part of the Sun is blocked by the Moon. This is also true during the partial phases of a Total, Annular, or Hybrid Solar Eclipse / Total, Annular, or Hybrid Eclipse of the Sun. Usually, more of the Sun is still visible than during an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun.

There is no time during an Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun when it is safe to look directly at the eclipse, unless you have the proper equipment and proper training to do so safely!

Also, there is no time during a Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun (or during the partial phases of any Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun) when it is safe to look directly at the eclipse, unless you have the proper equipment and proper training to do so safely!

So, there is no time during the October 14 eclipse event when it is safe to look, directly, at the eclipse, unless you have the proper equipment and proper training to do so safely!

WHERE CAN THIS ECLIPSE BE SEEN ?

                         

[Graphic Source: Francis G. Graham, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Kent State University and Founder of the American Lunar Society; formerly Planetarium and Observatory Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center - America's 5th major planetarium & Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991)]

The Path of Annularity for this eclipse begins in the North Pacific Ocean, where the Moon's Ant-Umbral Shadow meets the Earth. This Path of Annularity then crosses parts of nine states of the United States: Oregon, California, Idaho (small corner of southwestern part of Idaho), Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Then, the Path of Annularity crosses the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, as well as parts of six Central American nations: Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. This eclipse ends in the Atlantic Ocean, after crossing parts of the South American nations of Colombia and Brazil.

For a wide area, on both sides of the Path of Annularity, a Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun will be visible.

Of course, as with all astronomical events, visibility is weather-permitting 

WHEN CAN THIS ECLIPSE BE SEEN ?

This eclipse will occur during the mid-day hours of Saturday, 2023 October 14 ---

(EDT = Eastern Daylight Saving Time / UTC = Coordinated Universal Time)

• > First location where partial eclipse begins: 11:03:50 a.m. EDT / 15:03:50 UTC

• > First location where full annular eclipse begins: 12:10:11 p.m. EDT / 16:10:11 UTC

• > Primary Moon Phase: New Moon – Lunation #1247: 1:55 p.m. EDT / 17:55 UTC

• > Greatest eclipse (off the coast of Nicaragua): 1:59:32 p.m. EDT / 17:59:32 UTC

• > Last location where full annular eclipse ends: 3:49:01 p.m. EDT / 19:49:01 UTC

• > Last location where partial eclipse ends: 4:55:16 p.m. EDT / 20:55:16 UTC

For the Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun, the time of Annularity or “Ring-of-Fire” will reach a maximum time of 5 minutes and 17 seconds. The Path of Annularity will be 116 statute miles / 186.683904 kilometers wide.

 At the most, the Moon will cover 90 per-cent of the solar disk.

A Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun always comes a couple weeks before or a couple weeks after a Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon. The October 14 eclipse precedes a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon on October 28, which will primarily be visible in Earth's Eastern Hemisphere.

How to Determine Sunrise and Sunset times for your location ---

The time this eclipse can be seen varies for each location on Earth, located along the eclipse path. Of course, it can only be seen while the Sun is above the Horizon for any particular location.

1. Check your local newspaper or television weather reports, or weather app on your cellular telephone;

2. For those who can receive the NOAA Weather Radio station in their area, often the National Weather Service provides Sunrise and Sunset times during their daily local, “Climate Summary” report;

3. Submit your Zip-Code or city name to one of two Internet web-sites:

   a) U.S. Naval Observatory – Link >>> https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/RS_OneDay

   b) Heavens-Above.com – Link >>> https://www.heavens-above.com/sun.aspx

HOW TO SAFELY VIEW ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN ---

1. Internet - Watch the eclipse on an Internet, Live-Stream Web-Cast (Internet links to web-casts near the end of this blog-post). Of course, people outside of the path of an eclipse can also watch the eclipse on an Internet, Live-Stream Web-Cast, as well as people within the eclipse path where clouds obscure the view..

2. Public Observing Events - Sometimes educational events for eclipse viewing are sponsored by a local planetarium or science museum, astronomical observatory, science department of a local college or high school, amateur astronomy club, or local library.

3. Solar Pinhole Viewing Box - Create a Solar Pinhole Viewing Box, as displayed and described at the beginning of this blog-post.

4. “Solar Eclipse Glasses” - For a few dollars you can purchase Solar Eclipse Glasses. However, only use such glasses that are specifically labeled for solar eclipse viewing, preferably approved by the American Astronomical Society (to ensure you do not purchase fake eclipse glasses). Special Note: Solar Eclipse Glasses are very fragile and must be handled gently. Also, before each use during an eclipse, check the glasses by looking through the glasses at a lit light bulb; if you find any holes or tears in the glasses, that pair of glasses could damage your eye-sight during eclipse viewing and should be discarded.

5. Shade Rating Number 14 Welder's Glass – Shade Rating Number 14 Welder's Glass (and only Welder's Glass Rated at Shade Number 14, the strongest shade available) can be used for safe eclipse viewing, but may be uncomfortable to some because the Sun still appears very bright through this glass.

THESE ARE THE ONLY SAFE WAYS TO VIEW ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN !

Live-Stream Web-Casts of October 14 Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun:

Link 1 - Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun (Time & Date.com): >>> https://www.timeanddate.com/live/eclipse-solar-2023-october-14

Link 2 - Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun (Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles): >>> https://griffithobservatory.org/event/partial-solar-eclipse-october-14-2023/

SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAVE VIEWING: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/soleclipse/solareclipseviewingtips.html

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse#Types

2023 Oct. 14 Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun -

Link 1 (NASA): >>> https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2023/where-when/

Link 2 (Time & Date): >>> https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14

Link 3 (Wikipedia): >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_October_14,_2023

Graphic Simulation (Stellarium): Maximum Solar Obscuration by the Moon as seen in Pittsburgh during the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 October 14:

Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/grahamscorner/pix/eclipse/Pittsburgh_Max_Eclipse_Simulation_Stellarium.jpg

[Graphic Source: Francis G. Graham, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Kent State University and Founder of the American Lunar Society; formerly Planetarium and Observatory Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center - America's 5th major planetarium & Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991)]

Related Blog-Post ---

"Annular Solar Eclipse Early Thur. w/Web-Casts." Tue., 2021 June 8.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2021/06/annular-solar-eclipse-early-thur-wweb.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss          

               Wednesday, 2023 October 11

                             Like This Post? Please Share!

More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
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Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator                                                            (For more than 50 years! - Since Monday Morning, 1972 June 12):
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium and Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of only five libraries where both construction and endowment funded by famous industrialist & philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>> http://www.planetarium.cc Buhl Observatory: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

 * Other Walsh-Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html