EVENTS · 2019. 12. 5. · 15 Full Moon 22 Earth Day Astrocampus Open Night 29 New Moon ... Our...
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STORMS HO! Anybody swinging by the Astrocampus recently will have noticed the four twenty-foot poles that have been erected by the entrance. �ese work as a radio dipole; basically a giant radio antenna that can transmit and receive radio signals. We’re currently using them only to receive signals from the Sun and Jupiter. Signals from the Sun are caused by solar weather, mainly sunspots. �ese are regions of the Sun where magnetic field lines get twisted and cause magnetic disturbances that are lifted above the solar ‘surface’. Electrons gyrate around these magnetic field lines and emit radio waves at about 21 MHz. Using a band pass filter to filter out terrestrial radio channels and a simple dipole antenna, we can receive information about sunspots and solar activity. Indeed, over the course of our experiment, we could follow solar activity as sunspots travelled around the Sun. One dipole wasn’t sensitive enough to get data on Jupiter, so we had to erect a second. �is allows us to receive data about Jupiter’s poles EVENTS MARCH 17 Astrocampus Opening 20 Spring Equinox 27 Astrocampus Open Night 30 New Moon APRIL 8 ISS flyby- see @astrocampus 15 Full Moon 22 Earth Day Astrocampus Open Night 29 New Moon For details on our open nights and to make a booking please go to www.astrocampus.org.uk and radio storms. At it’s poles, we can observe the Jovian aurorae: like our own Northern Lights. However, where ours are caused by the solar wind ionising gas molecules in our atmosphere, Jupiter’s aurorae are caused by cyclotron radiation: electrons spiralling around strong magnetic field lines. �is leads to a general radio background. Io (the closest Galilean Moon) affects the intensity of radio output due to its volcanoes and geysers spewing out material to generate the cyclotron radiation. Io can therefore cause what we call ‘S’ bursts: short but intense radio storms that can outshine the solar output. �e dipole comes at an exciting time for Astrocampus: it, along with our radio dishes, marks the advancement from visible observations to different wavelengths, paving the way for future research projects. Sam Bourne 3rd Year Astrophysics Student Department of Physics CONTACT US Astrocampus Department of Physics University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD EMAIL: [email protected] TEL: 01904 322209 WEBSITE (under construction): www.astrocampus.org.uk @astrocampus Department of Physics MARCH/APRIL 2014 • ISSUE #1 UPDATE �e Astrocampus has come on in leaps and bounds over the past month and it was great to see so many of you here for National Astronomy Week. Our portakabin (�e ‘Astrocapsule’) now has furniture, stunning information panels on the walls, and a stylish new access ramp. �e main access path has also been improved to make it wheelchair accessible, for which many thanks go to Disability Services at the University. However, there’s still lots to be done. Lighting is our next priority, and red LED rope lights will help all those visiting the site to WELCOME! Welcome to the very first edition of our newsletter! We want to bring the mysteries of space right to you so you can look forward to reading about what we are up to, what the sky is up to and how you can come and learn about it all with us! In this, our first edition, we want to introduce you to our lovely new astrocampus. Read about the progress we have made on the site so far and what we hope to achieve. You can find out about the brand new radio dipole experiment and what the 3rd year astrophysics students are hoping to measure with it. To navigate your way around the sky we have a full set of skycharts especially made for York. Interesting planets and constellations to look out for are also included. A full calendar of events for the coming weeks is listed with details on how to come stargazing with us. If you like what we are doing then keep in contact! Subscribe to this newsletter online (www.astrocampus.org.uk) or follow us on twitter (@astrocampus). If you are interested in getting your school, club or social group involved then email us at ([email protected]). If you would like to help us raise funds then visit our crowdfunding site (www.yustart.hubbub.net/p/astrocampus). If you can’t donate yourself then please pass the message on so we can create the best astrocampus in the world! Best Wishes and Clear Skies! Dr. Emily Brunsden Department of Physics, University of York see their way round without spoiling their night vision. �e website will also be receiving our attention, so keep an eye on www.astrocampus.org.uk. After this, we are out of money but not out of ideas! We’d love to put in information panels and improve our resources for school groups. We therefore need your help. Please support us at https://yustart.hubbub.net/p/astrocampus/. See you at the Astrocampus soon! Katherine Leech Outreach Officer, Department of Physics, University of York
Transcript of EVENTS · 2019. 12. 5. · 15 Full Moon 22 Earth Day Astrocampus Open Night 29 New Moon ... Our...
STORMS HO! Anybody swinging by the Astrocampus recently will have noticed the four twenty-foot poles that have been erected by the entrance. �ese work as a radio dipole; basically a giant radio antenna that can transmit and receive radio signals. We’re currently using them only to receive signals from the Sun and Jupiter.
Signals from the Sun are caused by solar weather, mainly sunspots. �ese are regions of the Sun where magnetic field lines get twisted and cause magnetic disturbances that are lifted above the solar ‘surface’. Electrons gyrate around these magnetic field lines and emit radio waves at about 21 MHz. Using a band pass filter to filter out terrestrial radio channels and a simple dipole antenna, we can receive information about sunspots and solar activity. Indeed, over the course of our experiment, we could follow solar activity as sunspots travelled around the Sun.
One dipole wasn’t sensitive enough to get data on Jupiter, so we had to erect a second. �is allows us to receive data about Jupiter’s poles
EVENTSMARCH 17 Astrocampus Opening
20 Spring Equinox27 Astrocampus Open Night30 New Moon
APRIL 8 ISS flyby- see @astrocampus15 Full Moon22 Earth Day
Astrocampus Open Night29 New Moon
For details on our open nights and to make a booking please go to www.astrocampus.org.uk
and radio storms. At it’s poles, we can observe the Jovian aurorae: like our own Northern Lights. However, where ours are caused by the solar wind ionising gas molecules in our atmosphere, Jupiter’s aurorae are caused by cyclotron radiation: electrons spiralling around strong magnetic field lines. �is leads to a general radio background. Io (the closest Galilean Moon) affects the intensity of radio output due to its volcanoes and geysers spewing out material to generate the cyclotron radiation. Io can therefore cause what we call ‘S’ bursts: short but intense radio storms that can outshine the solar output.
�e dipole comes at an exciting time for Astrocampus: it, along with our radio dishes, marks the advancement from visible observations to different wavelengths, paving the way for future research projects.
Sam Bourne 3rd Year Astrophysics Student Department of Physics
CONTACT US
Astrocampus Department of Physics University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD
EMAIL: [email protected]
TEL: 01904 322209
WEBSITE (under construction): www.astrocampus.org.uk
@astrocampus
Department of Physics
MARCH/APRIL 2014 • ISSUE #1
UPDATE�e Astrocampus has come on in leaps and bounds over the past month and it was great to see so many of you here for National Astronomy Week. Our portakabin (�e ‘Astrocapsule’) now has furniture, stunning information panels on the walls, and a stylish new access ramp. �e main access path has also been improved to make it wheelchair accessible, for which many thanks go to Disability Services at the University.
However, there’s still lots to be done. Lighting is our next priority, and red LED rope lights will help all those visiting the site to
WELCOME!Welcome to the very first edition of our newsletter! We want to bring the mysteries of space right to you so you can look forward to reading about what we are up to, what the sky is up to and how you can come and learn about it all with us!
In this, our first edition, we want to introduce you to our lovely new astrocampus. Read about the progress we have made on the site so far and what we hope to achieve. You can find out about the brand new radio dipole experiment and what the 3rd year astrophysics students are hoping to measure with it. To navigate your way around the sky we have a full set of skycharts especially made for York. Interesting planets and constellations to look out for are also included. A full calendar of events for the coming weeks is listed with details on how to come stargazing with us.
If you like what we are doing then keep in contact! Subscribe to this newsletter online (www.astrocampus.org.uk) or follow us on twitter (@astrocampus). If you are interested in getting your school, club or social group involved then email us at
([email protected]). If you would like to help us raise funds then visit our crowdfunding
site (www.yustart.hubbub.net/p/astrocampus). If you can’t donate yourself then please pass the message on so we can create the best astrocampus in the world!
Best Wishes and Clear Skies!
Dr. Emily Brunsden Department of Physics, University of York
see their way round without spoiling their night vision. �e website will also be receiving our attention, so keep an eye on www.astrocampus.org.uk. After this, we are out of money but not out of ideas! We’d love to put in information panels and improve our resources for school groups. We therefore need your help. Please support us at https://yustart.hubbub.net/p/astrocampus/. See you at the Astrocampus soon!
Katherine Leech Outreach Officer, Department of Physics, University of York
