Welcome and Notices Ian Bradley
Ian welcomed members and announced notices:
- A 4″ refractor has been offered sale – contact for details through the website
- An all-day, Saturday 7th of September, Astronomical event hosted by the Preston and District Astronomical Society see our calendar for neighbouring events.
- Our EAS monthly meetings are moving to the first Thursday of the month after the New Year.
Sky Notes for September 2019 – David Glass
See our Sky Notes for September 2019
David’s proposal of a visit to Alston Observatory, Preston was accepted. Meet at 7:30 PM on Tuesday 29th October. A meal at the Black Bull immediately before will be optional.
Astronomy News Phil Morris

Mascot standing on one leg
Hayabusa2 on the Asteroid Ryugu
The Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) has been deployed 41m above the surface on a 17-hour mission to measure the structure, distribution and texture of the surface of asteroid Ryugu. See also What asteroid Ryugu told usJupiter
The Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter has discovered a new spot (aka Great Blue Spot) beneath the opaque clouds on the first definite detection of an extra-terrestrial planetary, magnetic field. The Juno mission will end in 2021 after which the next mission to Jupiter, to Jupiter’s moons in fact) may well be called JUICE (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) .Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble space telescope has been involved in measuring the rate of expansion of the universe, the Hubble Parameter, H . Current measurements from- the Cosmic microwave background (CMB) give H = 67.4
- the apparent brightness of Supernovae Type 1a gives H = 72
- Hubble recently measuring the distances to red giant stars H = 68.8
Supernovae

Gaia mapping the Milky Way
The Gaia galaxy-mapping telescope has detected a new type of exploding Supernovae. It seems to be on the periphery of the galaxy, not at its heart. Its mass has been calculated as 200 times that of the sun Its spectrum is different from that of any other supernovae yet detected It seemed to explode twice.
Such massive supernovae have been predicted and the final explosion may involve anti-matter obliterating the star without leaving a black hole .Dalby Star Camp – Moira Greenhalgh and Richard Rae

- dark skies
- lectures
- access to many types of equipment
- with your own equipment

Starfield by Richard Rae EAS

Andromeda galaxy by Richard Rae EAS
Volcanic Processes on Mars Professor Lionel Wilson
Professor Wilson gave an illustrated talk on volcanism Mars often comparing the processes with the volcanism on the Earth. Differences in the Mars environment such as:- lower gravity field
- lower air pressure
- lack of mobile plate tectonics

The Elysium volcanic province showing Martian volcanoes with large, low profile bulges, subsidiaryvolcanoes,longtrenchesand distant rills.
- depressed blocks of crust from Graben collapse
- higher plasticity on Martian Pyroclastic flows
- Martian soil characteristics
- Geology of Mars