Northolt Branch Observatories

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Northolt Branch Observatories

NBO Logo black1.png

Northolt Branch Observatories logo
Alternative names Northolt Branch Observatory, NBO
Observatory code Z80, Z48, Z37
Location London, England
Blandford Forum, England
Marburg, Germany
Coordinates 51°33′17″N0°22′19″W / 51.55466°N 0.37192°W / 51.55466; -0.37192 Coordinates: 51°33′17″N0°22′19″W / 51.55466°N 0.37192°W / 51.55466; -0.37192
Altitude 55 metres (180 ft)
Established September 27, 2015 (2015-09-27) [1]
Website www.facebook.com/NBObservatories
Telescopes
0.25-metre f/8 Ritchey–Chrétien
0.07-metre f/5.9 refractor
0.30-metre f/8 Ritchey–Chrétien
0.15-metre f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain

The Northolt Branch Observatories (NBO; Observatory codes: Z80, Z48 and Z37) is an astronomical observatory located in London, England. NBO collects follow-up astrometry of Near-Earth asteroids and other small Solar System objects. [1] It focuses on public outreach, sharing images, videos and information about asteroids on social media.

London Capital of the United Kingdom

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Astrometry part of astronomy, covers star positions and their movements

Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Social media Interaction in virtual communities and networks

Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. The variety of stand-alone and built-in social media services currently available introduces challenges of definition; however, there are some common features:

  1. Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.
  2. User-generated content, such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions, is the lifeblood of social media.
  3. Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization.
  4. Social media facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals or groups.

Contents

The two main belt asteroids 72834 Guywells and 128345 Danielbamberger are named after members of the Northolt Branch Observatories team. [2] [3]

Asteroid belt the circumstellar disk (accumulation of matter) in an orbit between those of Mars and Jupiter

The asteroid belt is the circumstellar disc in the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets. The asteroid belt is also termed the main asteroid belt or main belt to distinguish it from other asteroid populations in the Solar System such as near-Earth asteroids and trojan asteroids. About half the mass of the belt is contained in the four largest asteroids: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Hygiea. The total mass of the asteroid belt is approximately 4% that of the Moon, or 22% that of Pluto, and roughly twice that of Pluto's moon Charon.

History

Northolt Branch Observatories was founded in 2015, as an extension of the London-based Northolt Branch Astro group of local amateur astrophotographers. [4] It is a British-German collaboration: Data is collected on-site by observers at the telescopes in England, and then processed remotely from Germany. [5]

Activities

Northolt Branch Observatories is an educational outreach partner with NEOShield-2. [6] It works closely with Asteroid Day [7] [8] and the PACA (Pro-Am Collaborative Astronomy) Project, with the goal to raise awareness about asteroids. [9] [1] In 2016 and 2017, NBO hosted the International Capture The Asteroid imaging contest, in partnership with NEOShield-2. [10] [11] The annual competition is targeted particularly at amateur astrophotographers, who rarely choose to image asteroids in favour of planets or deep-sky objects. [12]

Asteroid Day

Asteroid Day (also known as International Asteroid Day) is an annual global event which is held on the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska event that took place on June 30, 1908, the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history. The United Nations has proclaimed it be observed globally on June 30 every year in its resolution. Asteroid Day aims to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth, its families, communities, and future generations from a catastrophic event. For example, 2014 HQ124, discovered April 23, 2014, went past 1,250,000 km from Earth the same year, June 8th, only 46 days after discovery, and 2015 TB145, went past at 490,000 km only 21 days after its discovery.

Deep-sky object

Deep-sky object is a term designating any astronomical object that is not an individual star or Solar System object. The classification is used for the most part by amateur astronomers to denote visually observed faint naked eye and telescopic objects such as star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. This distinction is practical and technical, implying a variety of instruments and techniques appropriate to observation, and does not distinguish the nature of the object itself.

In addition to observing Near-Earth asteroids, NBO also provides supernova confirmation [13] [14] and long-term follow up of comets as part of PACA observing campaigns. Examples of PACA campaigns with contributions from NBO include Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, [15] and the comets 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák and 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková. [16]

Supernova Star exploding at the end of its stellar lifespan

A supernova is an event that occurs upon the death of certain types of stars.

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Bilobate comet; most likely a contact body

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet, originally from the Kuiper belt, with a current orbital period of 6.45 years, a rotation period of approximately 12.4 hours and a maximum velocity of 135,000 km/h. Churyumov–Gerasimenko is approximately 4.3 by 4.1 km at its longest and widest dimensions. It was first observed on photographic plates in 1969 by Soviet astronomers Klim Ivanovych Churyumov and Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko, after whom it is named. It came to perihelion on 13 August 2015.

41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák comet

41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.4 kilometers in diameter.

Related Research Articles

<i>Rosetta</i> (spacecraft) Cornerstone 3 mission in the Horizon 2000 programme; orbital reconnaissance of the periodic comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko

Rosetta was a space probe built by the European Space Agency launched on 2 March 2004. Along with Philae, its lander module, Rosetta performed a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P). During its journey to the comet, the spacecraft flew by Mars and the asteroids 21 Lutetia and 2867 Šteins. It was launched as the third cornerstone mission of the ESA's Horizon 2000 programme, after SOHO / Cluster and XMM-Newton.

2867 Šteins asteroid

2867 Šteins, provisional designation 1969 VC, is an irregular, diamond-shaped background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 November 1969, by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij on the Crimean peninsula. In September 2008, ESA's Rosetta probe flew by Šteins, making it one of few minor planets ever visited by a spacecraft. The bright E-type asteroid features 23 named craters and has a rotation period of 6.05 hours. It was named for Soviet astronomer Kārlis Šteins.

Jean Mueller is an American astronomer and discoverer of comets, minor planets, and a large number of supernovas at the U.S. Palomar Observatory in California.

The Črni Vrh Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in western Slovenia, close to the settlement of Črni Vrh, near the town of Idrija. The current observatory was built in 1985 and stands at an elevation of 730 metres (2,400 ft). Much of the construction was done by volunteers.

Krisztián Sárneczky Hungarian astronomer

Krisztián Sárneczky is a Hungarian teacher of geography and prolific discoverer of minor planets and supernovae, researching at Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary. He is a board member of the Hungarian Astronomical Association (HAA) and member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, leader of the Comet Section of the HAA, and is a contributor in the editorial work of Hungarian Astronomical Almanach.

John "Jack" Borden Newton is a Canadian astronomer, best known for his publications and images in amateur astrophotography both in film and CCD.

Mead Observatory

The WestRock Observatory is operated by Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center at 701 Front Avenue, Columbus, Georgia. Established in 1996, the observatory has active night sky and solar study programs for students and the general public. The equipment can be controlled and monitored remotely by faculty and astronomers. The observatory also offers mobile astronomy programs such as "Astronomy Nights" at Callaway Gardens, F. D. Roosevelt State Park, and Providence Canyon State Park as well as education outreach to the surrounding Georgia/Alabama area.

Denis Denisenko Russian astronomer

Denis Denisenko is a Russian astronomer of the late 20th – early 21st century, discoverer of 7 supernovae, more than 50 variable stars, an asteroid, and a comet.

3752 Camillo asteroid

3752 Camillo is a highly inclined asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 2.3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 August 1985, by astronomers Eleanor Helin and Maria Barucci using a 0.9-metre (35 in) telescope at the CERGA Observatory in Caussols, France. Lightcurve studies by Petr Pravec in 1998 suggest that the assumed S-type asteroid has an elongated shape and a longer-than average rotation period of 38 hours.

Thomas Boles is a Scottish amateur astronomer, discoverer of astronomical objects, author, broadcaster and former communications and computer engineer, who observes from his private "Coddenham Observatory" in Coddenham, Suffolk, United Kingdom. He is known for having discovered a record number of supernovae. The main-belt asteroid 7648 Tomboles is named in his honor.

Puckett Observatory

Puckett Observatory is a private astronomical observatory located in the state of Georgia. It is owned and operated by Tim Puckett. Its primary observation goals are the study of comets and the discovery of supernovae. To facilitate the latter goal it sponsors the Puckett Observatory World Supernova Search whose astronomers have discovered 369 supernovae.

Steve Mandel is an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer. He owns a small observatory, called Hidden Valley Observatory, in Soquel, California. He has been acknowledged especially for his wide-field photographs of the Milky Way nebulae and for public outreach, for which he has received Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Besides this he has also captured and published wildlife images of endangered animals. He works as an American communications coach for professional executives, and is the founder of the Mandel Communications Inc., which aims to teach effective communication and public speaking.

David J. Lane is a Canadian astronomer at Saint Mary's University, the past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, director of the Burke-Gaffney astronomical observatory, owner of the Abbey-Ridge Observatory, and creator of the planetarium software entitled the Earth Centered Universe. Asteroid 117032 Davidlane is named in his honour, and the asteroid lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Fabrizio Bernardi is an Italian astronomer and discoverer of minor planets and comets, best known for the co-discovery of the near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid 99942 Apophis.

Michel Ory Professor of physics, amateur astronomer

Michel Ory is a Swiss amateur astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets, who was one of five winners of the 2009 Edgar Wilson Award for his discovery of 304P/Ory, a periodic comet of the Jupiter family on 27 August 2008, using a 24-inch f/3.9 reflector at the Jura Observatory in Switzerland. In 2018, he was awarded a Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant which will improve the robotic survey he conducts in collaboration with Claudine Rinner at the Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco.

Astronomical Society of New South Wales Amateur astronomy club in the state of New South Wales, Australia

The Astronomical Society of New South Wales (ASNSW) is an amateur astronomy club in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was founded in 1954 and it has over 400 members.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Astronomy Photographer of the Year is an annual astronomy photography competition that is organised by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. The title sponsor Insight Investment, a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon, has sponsored the competition since 2015 as Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Since 2018 the competition has been known as Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year. The competition's media partner is the BBC Sky at Night magazine.

2018 CB asteroid

2018 CB is a very bright micro-asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, less than 20 meters (66 ft) in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of the Catalina Sky Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, on 4 February 2018, during its sub-lunar close encounter with Earth.

<span class="nowrap">2017 VR<sub>12</sub></span>

2017 VR12 is a sub-kilometer asteroid with a somewhat elongated and angular shape, approximately 160 meters (500 feet) in diameter. It is classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo or Amor group. The V-type asteroid has a rotation period of approximately 1.5 hours. It was first observed on 10 November 2017 by the 60-inch Pan-STARRS 1 telescope at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii.

Donatiello I Dwarf spheroidal galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda

Donatiello I, also known as Mirach's Goblin, is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda, located between 8.1 and 11.4 million light-years from Earth. It is a possible satellite galaxy of the dwarf lenticular galaxy NGC 404, "Mirach's Ghost", which is located 60 arcminutes away. It is otherwise one of the most isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies known, being physically located around 211,000 light-years away from NGC 404. The galaxy is named after its discoverer, amateur astrophotographer Giuseppe Donatiello, who sighted the galaxy in a 2016 review of his archival long exposures from 2010 and 2013. Follow-up observations with the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory led to a scientific paper on its discovery being published in December 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Our Story: The Northolt Branch Observatories". facebook.com. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Sein Name fliegt durchs All: Asteroid nach Hobby-Astronom aus Laisa benannt" (in German). Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA). 22 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Ein "Stern", der seinen Namen trägt" (in German). Oberhessische Presse. 15 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Astrophiz 23: Meet Asteroid Hunters Daniel Bamberger and Guy Wells. Astrophotographer Dr Ian 'Astroblog' Musgrave". December 15, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Astrophiz 50: Asteroid Hunters II". February 1, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Educational Outreach Partners". NEOShield-2. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. ↑ Bamberger, Daniel (December 20, 2016). "Christmas Rocks". blog.asteroidday.org. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  8. ↑ Griffin, Rory (producer/director) (June 30, 2016). Man Vs. Asteroid: An Asteroid Day Special (Motion picture). Discovery Science.
  9. ↑ "PACA Solar System Outreach". facebook.com. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  10. ↑ "NEOShield2's Capture the Asteroid competition results are in!". Squirrel Valley Observatory. December 6, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  11. ↑ Dienel, Franziska. "Capture the Asteroid Competition 2017". neoshield.eu. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  12. ↑ "How to capture an asteroid – first steps". facebook.com. Northolt Branch Observatories. September 22, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Observer BDAD (Daniel Bamberger)". aavso.org. American Association of Variable Star Observers. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  14. ↑ Bishop, David. "Bright Supernova". rochesterastronomy.org. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  15. ↑ Yanamandra-Fisher, Padma (June 13, 2014). "The role of amateur astronomers in Rosetta's mission". ESA. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ King, Bob (November 30, 2016). "Comet Campaign Seeks Imagers Worldwide". Sky&Telescope. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
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