APOD 4.1

Can you guess what constellation this is? Let me give you some hints. It has a Horseshoe Nebula and well as the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel. That's right, this constellation is called Orion the Hunter. The star Aldebaran can also be seen in this picture. Aldebaran is part of the Taurus constellation, which is right next to Orion. We will see more of these constellation now that spring has started. Therefore, keep looking up!

APOD 3.8

In this picture, we able to see the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is not a constellation but an asterism so get it confused! It is part of the Ursa Major constellation. Astronomers have observed that the bright stars in the Big Dipper are actually close to one another,which means they were likely formed at the same time. Taken from France, this beautiful picture presents the exact shape of the Big Dipper. However, its shape might not be the same in the next decades.  

APOD 3.7

I bet you can recognize what those elliptical figures are. That's right, they are galaxies! Now think of this, Earth is part of the Milky Way galaxy and in the picture we can see more than 20 galaxies. This cluster of galaxies is called the Coma Cluster of Galaxies. Taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006, astronomers have now been able to study how galaxies are formed. The Coma Cluster of Galaxies are many light years away, which is why astronomers have not been able to observe these galaxies until the Hubble Space Telescope. On the picture, one can see more fainter galaxies in the distance. This means that there are more galaxies that we are not able to see with a telescope and are just waiting to be discovered.

Maria Mitchell Biography

Angie Aramayo

Astronomy Per. 1

Percival

5 March 2015

Maria Mitchell Biography

A famous astronomer once said, “We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry”. This famous astronomer was the representation of imagination. At a young age she was able to master navigational computations as well as calculating the location of her home. Maria Mitchell, unlike many astronomers, did not just devout her life looking up but rather teaching young women about astronomy. The numerous awards she has received throughout her life demonstrate her success and dedication. This woman is the first American female astronomer due to her discovery of a new comet.

            Born and raised in Massachusetts, Maria Mitchell was the daughter of William and Lydia Mitchell. Since the day she was born, August 1, 1818, Mitchell was a rapid learner. Her father believed in equal education for both men and women, which is why he became a mentor to Maria Mitchell. William Mitchell taught Maria mathematics and the concepts of navigation. When Maria was 12 she calculated the locations of multiple places, including her home. When she was only 14 years old, Maria as able to do navigational computations for whaling journeys that usually professionals do. She primarily learned the basics of astronomy from her father and later on began to teach herself more about astronomy. Starting by observing the sky on the roof of her father’s office to becoming a librarian, Mitchell gave herself an advanced education. Maria continued her private study for 20 more years indicating that despite what society thought of women she was not going to stop her learning and study of the sky.

            The discovery of a new comet brought Maria Mitchell worldwide fame. What fascinated the audience the most was that she only used a 2-inch telescope to find a new comet. This discovery brought her a gold medal from the King of Denmark and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1848.        However, Maria Mitchell was more than an astronomer, she was an activist. Due to her achievements she was nominated as president of the Association for the Advancement of Women in 1873. Her goal was to teach women to surpass stereotypes that were imposed on them by society. She wanted to achieve her goal by teaching women how to become successful astronomer like her. In the year 1865, she became a professor of astronomy in the Vassar College. As a professor, Maria Mitchell taught her students concepts her father taught her as well as how to direct observations. Her imagination of becoming a successful astronomer not only reflects her achievements but, most importantly, her goals.

            Today, Maria Mitchell has libraries and schools named after her. She has become the first woman to be elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac.  She has opened the first institution in America that gave a higher education for women. Maria Mitchell’s accomplishments are extraordinary for a woman who is living in a time where men and women were not equal. The Maria Mitchell Astronomical Observatory was built to portray Mitchell’s hard work and the imagination that she had. Her story shows what women are capable of achieving if they were given a chance.

   

M2-9, 2,000 light years away, velocity of gas is 200 miles per second, located in Ophiuchus


Butterfly Nebulae, 3,800 light years away,  its wingspan stretches across 3 light years, located in Scorpius

 
NGC 3918, 5,000 light years away, used to be a red giant, located in Centaurus

 
M57, 2,300 light years away, its angular size is 1.4 x 1.0 arc minutes, located in Lyra


IC 289, 4,000 light years away, its angular size is 40", located in Cassiopeia

 
ESO 456-67, 10,000 light years away, multiple layers that were expelled by the central star are visible, located in Sagittarius


NGC 7026, 6,000 light years away, it emits X-ray radiation, located in Cygnus


NGC 7027, 3,000 light years away, the remainders of a star like our sun, located in Cygnus


NGC 6210, 6,500 light years away, the green light represents the doubly ionized oxygen, located in Hercules


NGC 5189, looks like a red giant