Biography Sources

http://www.astrosurf.com/re/alvan_clark.pdf


http://www.nndb.com/people/702/000167201/


Deborah Jean Warner. Alvan Clark & Sons: Artists in Optics. Museum of History and Technology Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. 1968. Print.

APOD 3.6

Pictured above is a cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages that make the cloud appear much like it's name, Thor's Helmet. The cloud spans about  30 light years and 15,000 light years from Canis Major. It is described as more of an interstellar bubble than a cloud, that surrounds the Wolf-Rayet star in its center. The star is thought to be in a stage of pre-supernova. The greenish color comes from emission of oxygen atoms. 

Stargaze Observations (February 16, 2014)

Location: PV Service Road
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Constellations Noted: Auriga, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Gemini, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Taurus, Orion, Lepus, Columba, Monoceros, Eridanus, Fornax, Aries, Cancer 

M Objects (seen through telescopes): M41 in Canis Major, M 42 in Orion

Other (seen through telescopes): double star color differentiation, the "5th" star of the trapezium 

APOD 3.5

Located in Cassiopeia are two emission nebulas, fondly named Heart (right) and Soul. The red is reflective of energized hydrogen. Several open clusters are pictured in their bluish tint. Light from these nebulas takes about 6,000 years to reach planet Earth. By studying these nebulas, scientists have learned more about how massive stars form and how that effects the environment they are in.

Observations

February 10

This weekend, I went to Siesta Key beach at sunset and noted Andromeda, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia. Additionally, I saw Orion, Auriga, and Taurus. On Sunday at Disney, I saw Orion perfectly over the castle and noted the brightness of the stars on Big Thunder Mountain, which was surprising given Disney is pretty light-polluted. 

Observations

January 31

Over the past week, I have watch the moon return to the new phase. I have seen Orion in the East portion of the sky, as well as Gemini and Taurus. I've noted Sirius, even though we have not formally learned it. I watched Venus in the between the East and the South in the dawn. 

APOD 3.4

This picture, taken at Monument Valley in the US, picture Orion in the right and Mars in the left. Buttes are shown in the foreground, evidence of a river that used to run through the area. Orion's belt is seen vertical and Betelgeuse is the reddish star in the constellation. The bluish star above the rightmost butte is Rigel. The two buttes are known as Mittens and Merrick from left to right.