SpaceWatchtower: August 2024

Monday, August 26, 2024

Odd 'Wow!' Radio Signal from Outer Space Explained ?

The wow! scribble on the computer printout

Image of the 1977 computer print-out where the 'Wow' Signal was discovered.

(Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Scientists have now reported a possible explanation for an odd radio signal received from Outer Space in 1977. Originally described as the 'Wow!' Signal, some considered the possibility of a radio signal broadcast from an extraterrestrial civilization. Now, a more natural explanation has been proposed.

A strong narrow-band radio signal was detected on 1977 August 15 by the Big Ear Radio Telescope on the grounds of Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. Operated by the Ohio State University from 1963 to 1998, this radio telescope was part of the university's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project.

It was astronomer Jerry Ehman who discovered, what he referred to as the 'Wow!' Signal, on a computer print-out from automated observations the previous night. This intense and narrow transmission from Outer Space had lasted at least 72 seconds. On the print-out Mr. Ehman circled in bright red ink the series of letters and numbers that represented the unusual radio transmission. Then, he wrote next to the circled letters and numbers, in the margin: Wow!

In 1994, Mr. Ehman told newspaper reporter Barry Kawa, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Without thinking, I wrote ‘Wow!' It was the most significant thing we had seen.”

Scientists considered this signal so unusual, because it was so intense and had a highly specific frequency. As this signal was similar to a natural radio transmission by hydrogen (Chemical symbol: H) atoms, this suggested that it was not a normal transmission from Outer Space. Of course, some people assumed that this may be a broadcast from an alien civilization. Actually, seeking such alien transmissions was one of the primary purposes of this Big Ear Radio Telescope.

However, on August 16 three scientists proposed an alternate explanation for the 'Wow!' Signal, published in a pre-print Internet web-site for academic papers which have not yet gone through the peer-review process: arXiv. These scientists propose that the 'Wow!' Signal may have been the result of a very rare event in Outer Space: the sudden brightening of a cold hydrogen cloud. As explained in Smithsonian Magazine: the scientists “suggest a strong source of energy, such as a flare from a super-magnetized, extremely dense star called a magnetar, could have struck a cloud of hydrogen gas and caused it to glow brighter. The cloud could have emitted a laser-like beam of radiation in a phenomenon called a maser.”

Past hypotheses held that the 'Wow!' Signal came from a passing comet or a star. These, somewhat controversial, explanations were soon dismissed by most scientists.

The lead author of this new research is Abel Mendez, a planetary astrobiologist and Director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory. His co-authors are Kevin Ortiz Ceballos of the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Jorge Zuluaga of the University of Antioquia in Colombia.

They analyzed archived data that had been collected using the huge Arecibo Observatory Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico. In 2020, this famous telescope was decommissioned and dismantled by the U.S. National Science Foundation, after the radio dish was damaged by two cable breaks which threatened the structural integrity of the support structure for the suspended platform.

This proposed explanation is not supported by all scientists. This is particularly true since the proposed explanation has never been observed in the Universe. So, the alien communication hypothesis has still not been completely dismissed.

Actually, the Search of Extraterrestrial Intelligence by radio began exactly 100 years ago, last week. It was on 1924 August 21 that, under the urging of retired Massachusetts' Amherst College Astronomy Professor David Todd, U.S. Army and Navy radio stations, as well as the general public, started listening for radio messages from the planet Mars. Several years earlier, radio pioneers Nicola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi had reported receiving odd radio signals from Outer Space, which they thought could have come from Mars.

A century ago this-past week, Mars and Earth were closer than the two planets had been in many years. The Amherst astronomer thought this might be a time that Martians would try to contact Earth via radio.

By 1924, most scientists believed that Mars was too cold and dry to have human-like life, but not everyone else agreed. Businessman, author, and mathematician Percival Lowell, who had constructed an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona specifically to study Mars, had publicly promoted the idea that Martians had built canals to bring water from the poles to the rest of a dying planet. Hence, the general public was enthralled with the idea of intelligent life on Mars.

One hundred years ago, Dr. Todd had asked radio stations to go silent for five minutes each hour for several nights, to make it easier to hear the radio signals from Mars; only radio station WRC in Washington DC actually did so. However, other military, commercial, and amateur radio operators still listened for the extraterrestrial signals. And, a leading military cryptographer was made available to decode any messages from Mars.

There were a lot of radio signals received during this first SETI radio search, but the signals came from Earth or natural radio sources in the Universe. No message from Mars was ever detected.

Internet Links to Additional Information ----

'Wow!, Signal: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal

Ohio State University Radio Observatory (former home of Big Ear Radio Telescope):

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

Arecibo Radio Telescope: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_Telescope

Related Blog-Post ---

"50th Anniversary: Kecksburg, Pa. "UFO" Incident." Wed., 2015 Dec. 9.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/12/50th-anniversary-kecksburg-pa-ufo.html

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

"Odd 'Wow!' Radio Signal from Outer Space Explained ?"

Monday, 2024 August 26.

Artificial Intelligence not used in the writing or production of this article.

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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

Friday, August 9, 2024

Best Meteor Shower of Year Late-Night Sun. & Mon.

The vast majority of meteors that are visible during meteor showers are usually quite small, even though they often make a bright spectacle when entering Earth's atmosphere. However, some meteors which actually land on Earth, sometimes creating a crater, can be quite large. The above photograph shows the fifth largest fragment of the meteorite which created Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona, on public display near the entrance to the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium at Pittsburgh's Kamin (Carnegie) Science Center. Owned by the City of Pittsburgh, this meteorite was originally acquired for, and displayed at, the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium & Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991.

More Information: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/Buhlexhibits.htm#meteorite

(Image Source: Friends of the Zeiss' History of Buhl Planetarium Internet Web-site)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

The annual Perseid Meteor Shower, which peaks late-night on Sunday and Monday, is considered the best Meteor Shower of the year by NASA and most astronomers. Meteor sightings should be optimum this year after local Midnight, as the peak of this Meteor Shower comes just a little more than an hour before the First Quarter Moon lunar phase.

Astronomically, the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower comes this year during the late-night and early-morning hours of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 2024 August 11, 12, and 13. Technically, the actual peak is predicted to occur on Monday, 2024 August 12 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / 14:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The best time to watch most Meteor Showers, including this year's Perseids, is always between local Midnight and Dawn, when the Earth is rotating into the Meteor Shower. So, the best time to view this year's Perseid Meteor Shower is late Sunday night through early Tuesday morning.

At the peak-time, sometimes up-to 50-to-100 Meteors could possibly be seen per-hour, if observing conditions are ideal. Depending on your location (including elevation and number of obstructions to sky viewing, such as hills, trees, and buildings), weather conditions, Moon phase, and the condition of your eye-sight, seeing 40-to-60 Meteors per-hour would be more likely.

As most Meteors are often dim, it is best to view a Meteor Shower away from city lights, which cause a brightening of the sky at night, and hence, the dimmest Meteors are often missed. And, you want to go out ahead of time, before you start actual viewing of Meteors, to get your eyes accustomed to the dark sky. Dark-adapting your eyes for Meteor watching could take up-to one half-hour.

Also, after your eyes are dark-adapted, do not look at your cellular telephone while looking for Meteors. The light you see from your telephone could disrupt your dark-adapted night-vision.

For the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower this year, the Moon will be just a little more than an hour before the Primary Moon Phase of First Quarter. So, the Moon will be setting around or a little after local Midnight. Hence, the dimmer Meteors may be a little easier to find in a sky that is not brightened by much Moon-light.

The Primary Lunar Phase of First Quarter will occur on Monday, 2024 August 12 at 11:19 a.m. EDT / 15:19 UTC. In years when the Moon-light is brighter than it will be this year, try not to look directly at the Moon, so it does not hinder your dark-adapted eye-sight.

Actually, some Meteors from the Perseid Meteor Shower can be seen as early as mid-July and as late as late August (~July 17 to August 24); but they are few and far-between. Most Perseid Meteors can be seen three-to-five days before and three-to-five days after the peak time, which is considered, approximately, between August 9 and 14 each year; again, the absolute peak is August 11 to 13.

Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere are fortunate that the Perseid Meteor Shower arrives during the Summer month of August, when temperatures are comfortable for night-time viewing. However, some locations (such as in the mountains) could be cooler in the early-morning hours. So, be sure to check your local weather forecast (with NOAA Weather-Radio, local forecasts on radio, television or local newspapers, Internet, or your smart-telephone or smart-speaker) and bring a sweater and / or jacket with you if your location has a cooler weather forecast.

Be aware that sometimes August can be very humid with poor seeing conditions. And, the closer to the horizon, the worse the seeing conditions could be.

Binoculars and telescopes are not very useful for finding Meteors. Meteors streak across the sky in a very brief period of time, too short to aim binoculars or a telescope. So, the best way to view a Meteor Shower is to lie on the ground (perhaps on a blanket, sheet, or beach-towel—or possibly in a reclining beach or lawn-chair), in an area with a good view of the entire sky (with few obstructions such as buildings, trees, or hills, perhaps at a higher elevation), and keep scanning the entire sky with your unaided-eyes (one-power).

Meteor Showers appear to emanate from a Radiant point in the sky. For the Perseid Meteor Shower, the Radiant appears to be within the Constellation Perseus, named for the hero of Greek mythology (hence, the name Perseid Meteor Shower). However, you should not, necessarily, be looking only at Perseus, when looking for Meteors in this Shower.

Meteors can appear in any part of the sky at any time. In fact, looking towards Perseus may not result in finding the best Meteors. Meteors coming from the Apparent Radiant may be seen for a shorter time in the sky, with much shorter sky streaks.

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 of ice on the Comet. These dust particles, called Meteoroids, continue to follow the same orbit as the Comet and 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 then attracts many of these Meteoroids to fall to Earth, and they are viewed by people as Meteors, as they burn-up, mostly but not always, high 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 Fire-balls or Bolides. If these particles are large enough, they may not completely burn-up and land on Earth as a Meteorite, perhaps even creating a crater on Earth if the Meteorite is large and heavy enough.

Many museums and science centers display Meteorites to the general public. From 1939 to 1991, the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center – America's fifth major planetarium and Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991) displayed the fifth largest fragment of the Meteorite that formed Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. Owned by the City of Pittsburgh, this large Meteorite is now displayed on the second floor of Pittsburgh's Kamin (Carnegie) Science Center, outside the entrance to the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium. Meteorites are also on display in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Meteors can be seen any night of the year, although they are not predictable and are rare outside of one of the annual Meteor Showers. The vast majority of Meteors that can be seen during the Perseid Meteor Shower originate from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has an orbital period of 133 years, leaving behind a trail of dust and grit. Comet Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1862 and last returned for Earth viewing in 1992.

Comet Swift-Tuttle measures about 16 statute miles / 25 kilometers across, much larger than the object that is thought to have fallen to Earth which resulted in the extinction of the Dinosaurs (about 6 statute miles / 10 kilometers across) approximately 66 million years ago (after the Dinosaurs had lived on Earth for about 165 million years!).

Comet Swift-Tuttle will make a very close approach to the Earth in the year A.D. 4479. Scientists are now studying whether some day Comet Swift-Tuttle could impact the Earth. Comet Swift–Tuttle has been described as "the single most dangerous object known to humanity".

There are two additional Meteor Showers, which both peaked at the end of July, with some Meteors still visible in mid-August.

The Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower peaked on Sunday, 2024 July 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT / 23:00 UTC; these Meteors are visible each year between July 12 and August 23. It is not certain which Comet originated the Southern Delta Aquariids. This is considered a strong Meteor Shower, with 15-to-20 Meteors visible per-hour, around the peak of Shower; fewer would now be visible per-hour.

The evening of 2024 July 29 / early-morning of July 30 saw the peak of the Alpha Capracornid Meteor Shower. The official peak occurred on Monday, 2024 July 29 around 8:00 p.m. EDT / July 30, 0:00 UTC. At the peak time, 5 Meteors per-hour are expected, making the Alpha Capracornids a minor Meteor Shower; of course, now there would be fewer Alpha Capracornids visible per-hour. The Alpha Capracornids, which originated as remnants of Comet 169P / NEAT, are visible each year from July 3 to August 15.

Another minor Meteor Shower may be visible to some between August 28 and September 5 each year; the peak is expected August 31 / September 1. The astronomical peak for this Meteor Shower is on Saturday, 2024 August 31 at about 5:00 p.m. EDT / 21:00 UTC. The Aurigid Meteor Shower is believed to have originated as remnants of Comet Kless (C / 1911 N1). Astronomers do not know the composition of this Meteoric debris. So, it is uncertain how the Meteors from this Shower may interact with the Earth's atmosphere, and hence, scientists are unsure how visible this Shower may be each year.

So in mid-August, the time for viewing is right. And, of course, with the warm weather most of us experience in the Northern Hemisphere, this time of year, what could be better for viewing Meteors?

Of course, Meteor Showers, like all celestial observations, are weather-permitting. Even a few clouds could obscure quite a few Meteors.

If the weather in your area does not permit direct viewing of this Meteor Shower outdoors, it is possible (but not guaranteed) you may be able to use Google, Yahoo, Bing, Lycos, or your favorite Internet search engine to find special, Live-stream Web-casts of the Meteor Shower at one or more sites on the Internet.

A cautionary note for those who find it necessary to watch the Meteor Shower on the Internet. The video camera, used for each Live-stream Web-cast, can only aim at one part of the sky at a time. Hence, do not expect to see as many Meteors as you might see with your own eyes outside. Outdoors, you can easily scan the entire sky for Meteors, while a camera aimed at one area of the sky will only be able to see the Meteors that enter that particular field-of-view.

Internet Links to Additional Information ----

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

Comet Swift-Tuttle: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Swift%E2%80%93Tuttle

Constellation Perseus: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_%28constellation%29

South Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower:

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

Alpha Capracornid Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Capricornids

Aurigid Meteor Shower:

Link 1 >>> https://astronomyforbeginners.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/aurigid-meteor-shower-astronomy-for-beginners/

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

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

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

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

Meteorite: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteorites

Fifth largest fragment of the meteorite which struck Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona, which was displayed (1939 to 1991) at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), America's fifth major planetarium & Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991. Today, this meteorite is displayed on the second floor of Pittsburgh's Kamin (Carnegie) Science Center, next to the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/Buhlexhibits.htm#meteorite

Science Experiments Children & Teens Can Do At Home During Summer Break !

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2018/06/science-experiments-children-teens-can.html

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