Amateur astronomers have also made big discoveries

http://www.mov99.cn 2009-08-02 12:43:00 Source: NetEase

In late July, Jupiter was hit by another object, leaving a black scar near the South Pole and an Earth-sized hole in Jupiter's atmosphere above the impact. Interestingly, the first person to observe this Jupiter impact was not a professional astronomer, but an Australian astronomy enthusiast named Anthony. Wesley, who took the image from a telescope in his backyard and posted it online. How can amateur astronomers outperform professional astronomers? In fact, amateur astronomers have their own advantages, they can track a star for a long time, and they can also use a telescope, so in the vast universe as long as you are lucky enough, amateur astronomers will also make amazing discoveries.

Watching Jupiter impact in your backyard

Jupiter's new void was created by Australian amateur astronomer Antony. Wesley was first observed from Australia on the morning of the 20th of this month. Observations from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California followed, and the Infrared Space Telescope in Hawaii captured still images of Jupiter's holes and scars.

Wesley, 44, works as a computer programmer. According to Australian media reports, Wesley has loved astronomy since childhood, and the tool used to find Jupiter's hole is a 14.5-inch folding and reflecting telescope set up in his backyard.

In fact, Wesley almost missed this precious opportunity. Just a few hours before he observed the impact, he almost turned the telescope off due to bad weather conditions, but later changed his mind and simply rested himself for half an hour instead of letting the telescope rest, and the imaging equipment on the telescope continued to operate. When Wesley returned, he found a dark spot on Jupiter's South Pole. "I believe something new has been observed," he said. "I had photographed the impact area two days earlier, and there were no unusual dark spots, but there are now." Wesley wrote in a recording of the shooting posted online. Wesley said that at first it was thought that the "black spot" was an "extreme storm" of Jupiter, but as Jupiter rotated, he found that the black spot was a three-dimensional void, and then overturned the "extreme storm" speculation and determined that it was an impact trace.

Amateur astronomers have many advantages

Jupiter was knocked out of a hole in the Earth, which is one of the rare celestial wonders. People wonder why it was not a professional organization but an amateur astronomer who observed the event in the first place. What were the professional astronomers doing? Are all their multi-million dollar telescopes just a decoration?

This is actually a good example of a good interaction and synergy between professional and amateur astronomers. Professional astronomers have their own advantages, and amateur astronomers also have characteristics that professional astronomers do not have. The first is that there are many more amateur astronomers than professional astronomers, and they are distributed in every corner of the world. Secondly, for a lot of low technical threshold, but the need for long-term tracking of some astronomical observations, amateur astronomers have a more obvious advantage, they can their own telescope to stare at a target for a long time, how long, and professional astronomers do not have a telescope, different astronomers have different tasks, in terms of concentration is less.

The list goes on

In addition to Wesley, there are many similar examples, some accidental, some quite professional. Like Caroline. Moore, who discovered a supernova last November when she was just 14 years old, is the youngest person to have discovered a supernova. Astronomers in Connecticut recently identified a new cluster of galaxies using the SDSS image database, which is now named "Green Pea." The discovery helps astronomers understand how stars were born and evolved into galaxies in the early universe.

The cluster gets its name because of its small size and glowing green light. Observers have found that the "Green Pea" has an astonishing rate of star formation, the highest of any known galaxy cluster. Skywatchers have tracked 250 galaxies in the cluster over time. They are 1.5 billion to 5 billion light years from Earth, about one-tenth the size of the Milky Way, but they are forming stars 10 times faster.

Such remarkable star formation rates were common in galaxies in the early universe, but are rare today, astronomers said. By looking at the light from the Green Pea cluster, it is possible to determine how many new stars are being born in the cluster. The study of the Green Pea cluster will help people understand how planets were born in the early universe and how many galaxies, including the Milky Way, developed.

Professional astronomical institutions plan to "integrate" it

Because amateur astronomers' observations of professional astronomers can be helpful, some professional astronomical institutions are planning to "recruit" amateur astronomers, so that they can participate in some important projects to observe, such as NASA has invited amateur astronomers to join the lunar observation activities, which is NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Remote Sensing satellite program. The remote sensing satellite will crash into a crater at the moon's South Pole in October, and the impact will stir up a huge amount of material, most likely including water. NASA has invited amateur astronomers to observe the impact after it has happened, and to provide the agency with photos and other observation data, which can be supplemented by observations from professional observatories and space telescopes.

"The contribution of amateur astronomers could be very important," said Faith, director of the MMT Observatory on Mount Hopkins in Arizona. "Mr. Vilas said. The observatory, operated by the University of Arizona and equipped with a 6.5-meter telescope, will also observe the impact.

With good equipment, a good location, and clear skies, amateur astronomers will be in a better position to observe the impact once the dust from the satellite's impact jumps onto the moon's surface. The structure and shape of the dust will provide clues to the composition of the lunar material.

The chances of a surprising discovery are pretty good

In addition to these projects, NASA has invited amateur astronomers to take pictures of the Moon's South Pole, with the goal of gathering map data about the region that will help determine its geological composition.

In addition, amateur astronomers have an observational advantage in tracking near-Earth asteroids and stars not far from the Sun, helping astronomers determine the orbits of asteroids and track changes in stellar light and radiation.

"Today's amateur astronomers are able to provide all kinds of useful observational data, especially image data, and many of them are impressive," said Brian McKay, NASA's liaison officer for amateur astronomers. "Dye said. Astrophotographer Adam. "They are particularly prominent for longer-term observations," says Block.

As a result, for amateur astronomers, they have become a powerful force in the astronomical observation team. And, as long as they are lucky, there are plenty of opportunities for surprising discoveries.

(Source: News Evening Post)