BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SIAIPO_180428_010.JPG: Our Magnetic Sun
2. SIAIPO_180428_019.JPG: This is a live reflection of the sun
3. SIAIPO_180428_071.JPG: Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory This observatory is named to celebrate the spirit of Emma Phoebe Waterman Haas. In 1913 she became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the first woman to perform original research with a major American telescope. Haas used one of the greatest telescopes in the world at the time, the 36-inch refractor of Lick Observatory. She studied the spectra of relatively hot stars. Although she was then invited to continue as a professional astronomer, she chose to marry and raise a family. But Haas never lost her love for astronomy. She used a telescope to show her young sons the wonders of the heavens. With that telescope, she monitored stars that varied in brightness. She shared her observations with other astronomers through the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). She remained active in the AAVSO over the next several decades through her astronomical expertise and as a patron. In a 1941 letter to AAVSO, she shared her joy of observing: "There is nothing I enjoy more than an evening out with my telescope, the thrill of finding a faint prick of light where last time I looked, I could see nothing, then seeing that point brighten. I'll be at it again yet!" The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory is funded by the Thomas W Haas Foundation with the hope that your visit will kindle in you the same spirit of exploration and discovery.
4. SIAIPO_180428_077.JPG: Venus Venus has the hottest surface of any planet in our solar system, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun. Why is Venus so hot? Its atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide and is 93 times denser than Earth's. The carbon dioxide has caused an intense greenhouse effect that has heated the planet's surface to a sweltering 860�F (460�C). Inside the Observatory: Venus goes through phases, and its apparent size varies, as the planet's position relative to the Sun and Earth changes. If the Cook Memorial Telescope is pointed toward Venus, you can compare your observations to those of past visitors. Phases of Venus September 2013 to January 2014 The Public Observatory captured these images of Venus, which goes through phases, over the course of five months. Viewing Our Solar System: Magellan NASA's Magellan spacecraft studied Venus's geology, gravity, and topography. Released by the crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis, Magellan arrived at Venus in 1990. Over the next four years, it mapped most of Venus's surface using radar. It charted the planet's tectonic features, lava plains, craters, and dune fields. Magellan's final task was to gather aerodynamic data by intentionally falling into Venus's atmosphere. Scientists, including those at the Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, still use the wealth of Magellan data to learn more about Venus. This artist's concept shows Magellan with a radar map of Venus created from Magellan data. NASA/JPL The Pioneer Venus Orbiter obtained this view of the planet's cloud cover. NASA <-- This view of Venus's surface was created using radar data from Magellan. Gaps are filled in with data from the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope. Blue represents low elevation; orange represents high elevation. NASA/JPL/USGS How to Learn More: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/ Also check inside the observatory during operating hours for Venus's current phase.
5. SIAIPO_180428_082.JPG: Sun The Sun is a medium-sized star mostly made of hot hydrogen and helium gas. Its 11-year solar cycle produces such features as sunspots, prominence, filaments, and plages (pronounced "plahzh"), and such events as flares and coronal mass ejections. Solar activity is not harmful to humans on Earth, but it does create auroras and tamper with technology. The intense light of solar flares can affect satellites, GPS, and radio communications. A coronal mass ejection can damage power grids and pipelines and interfere with air travel. Inside the Observatory: During daytime observing hours, an array of telescopes equipped with safe solar filters is typically aimed at the Sun. One has a hydrogen-alpha filter, which only lets in a specific wavelength of light. This deep red color comes from excited hydrogen atoms. Using the hydrogen-alpha telescope, you can see prominences, filaments, and occasionally even flares! This image of the Sun was taken at the Public Observatory on December 11, 2013, using a hydrogen-alpha filter. Viewing Our Solar System: Solar Dynamics Observatory The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is helping scientists better understand solar activity and its effects on Earth and in near-Earth space. These effects are called space weather. SDO, launched in 2010, is the first mission in NASA's "Living With a Star" program. One of SDO's instruments is the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. It consists of four telescopes that take high-definition images of the Sun in 10 different wavelengths every 10 seconds. This massive amount of data is revolutionizing our understanding of solar activity and space weather. A coronal mass ejection is an eruption of material from the Sun's outermost layer. ESA & NASA/SOHO/GSFC A solar flare erupts in a flash of bright light. NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE and HMI science teams <-- The Solar Dynamics Observatory took this image of the Sun in 2014 near the peak of the solar cycle, when there were many sunspots. Sun: NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams Earth: NOAA/NASA GOES Project Earth to Scale How to Learn More: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov Also visit the SDO display in the Space Race gallery.
6. SIAIPO_180428_098.JPG: Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. How did the Moon form? Scientists think it formed when a planetary object the size of Mars collided with Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon is covered with impact craters that formed when asteroids and comets crashed into its surface. The roughly circular dark regions called maria (Latin for "seas") are vast impact craters that filled with lava. The light-colored lunar highlands are heavily cratered. The combined gravity of the Moon and Sun cause Earth's ocean tides. Inside the Observatory The moon is often featured during the Public Observatory's daytime and nighttime observing hours. Through our telescopes you can see lunar craters, mountains, and maria. Viewing Our Solar System: Center for Earth Planetary Studies The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (CEPS) is the National Air and Space Museum's planetary science research unit. CEPS scientists use radar systems on Earth and aboard spacecraft to study buried features on the Moon, map the surface of cloud-covered Venus, and probe the polar ice caps and volcanic deposits of Mars. The Moon as seen from a Tele Vue-85 telescope at the Public Observatory on March 1, 2012. CEPS scientists created this image of the Moon's Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis using radar data. The image reveals buried volcanic features invisible in surface images. Bruce Campbell & Gareth Morgan, Smithsonian Institution; NASA; background, LOLA Team This close-up view of the crater Aristarchus shows details of the crater wall and central peak. The image was taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University Caption of main image: <-- This view of the Moon was created using data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University How to Learn More: Visit CEPS at http://airandspace.si.edu/research/cfps
7. SIAIPO_180428_102.JPG: Jupiter Jupiter is a gas giant planet consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium. Astronomers have discovered more than 60 moons orbiting Jupiter. In 1610 Italian astronomer Galileo discovered the four largest moons, although he saw them only as "stars." Today we know the large moons as volcanic Io, icy Europa, and cratered Ganymede and Callisto. Have you heard of the Great Red Spot? This storm can have winds twice as fast as those in the strongest hurricanes on Earth. It is 2 to 3 times the size of Earth and has lasted for centuries. Inside the Observatory During some evening stargazing events here, you can view Jupiter, its cloud bands and the Great Red Spot, and several of its moons. Over the course of just an hour, you can watch the moons change position and sometimes move in front of or behind Jupiter. These images of Jupiter and two of its moons were taken through the Public Observatory's 4-inch finderscope over one hour on January 28, 2012. This picture from 2007 combines a Hubble Space Telescope grayscale image of Jupiter and a false-color image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The Chandra image reveals intense auras (purple). X-ray: NASA/CXC/SwRI/R. Gladstone et al. Optical: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage (AURA/STScl) As the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Jupiter in 2007, it captured these images of Jupiter's largest moons (left to right): Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute Viewing Our Solar System: Juno In 2011 NASA launched the unmanned solar-powered spacecraft Juno. Its goal is to explore Jupiter's neighborhood and colorful clouds. Juno will help scientists understand how a gas giant forms and changes. It may even answer questions about Jupiter's structure, whether the planet has a solid core, and how much water or oxygen it has. Juno should arrive at Jupiter in July 2016 and operate for a year. <-- An artist's concept of the Juno spacecraft arriving at Jupiter. NASA/JPL How to Learn More: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov http://missionjuno.swri.edu
8. SIAIPO_180428_121.JPG: Binary Stars Is our Sun a normal star? Stars are great luminous spheres of hydrogen and helium gas held together by their own gravity. Most stars in our galaxy exist in pairs or even in multiple-star systems. So, our singular Sun is relatively unusual. A binary star is a pair of stars orbiting a common center of gravity. Binary stars can appear as two points of light close together, but not all double stars are binary. Some simply appear close because of Earth's vantage point, but one may be much farther away than the other. Inside the Observatory During some evening stargazing programs, you can view such famous double star systems as Albireo in Cynus or Mizar and Alcar in the Big Dipper. Sometimes you can see their difference in color. This image of the beautiful binary star Albireo was taken at the Public Observatory on March 18, 2015, with the Cook Memorial Telescope. The central star in the handle of the Big Dipper is actually two stars, Mizar and Alcor. If you have good vision, you can distinguish the double star with the naked eye. Diffraction spikes have been added for emphasis. Viewing Our Universe: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) was founded in 1890 in Washington, D.C. It is now headquartered at Harvard University. It is one of the largest and most diverse astrophysical institutions in the world. Smithsonian scientists work on topics ranging from our solar system to distant galaxies and cosmology. In the SAO's "Symbiotic Stars" project, astronomers use binary stars to characterize stars based on how they interact with their partners. It is also a center for public service and education. Some binary stars exchange gas near the end of their lives. The image (top) of the binary star Mira was taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The illustration (bottom) depicts the same star system. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/M. Karovska et al. Illustration: CXC/M. Weiss In 2011 NASA's Kepler spacecraft discovered a planet orbiting a pair of stars. The star system, illustrated here, is called Kepler-16. NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt ←This painting of Mira by Chesley Bonestell depicts the view from a hypothetical planet orbiting the pair of stars. The background star is a bloated red giant, while the other is a dense, hot white dwarf. How to Learn More: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/sao/
9. SIAIPO_180428_124.JPG: Star Nurseries Where are stars born? Stars form in a large, dense region of hydrogen and helium gas and dust called a nebula (Latin for "cloud"). When a nearby cosmic collision or pressure from a supernova causes a nebula to collapse it divides into many clumps. Gravity contracts these clumps into stars. The Orion Nebula, 1,500 light-years away, is the nearest bright star nursery to Earth. It contains more than 3,000 stars, some of which are among the youngest and brightest known. Inside the Observatory During some evening observatory hours, you can view the young stars and the gas and dust clouds of the Orion Nebula. This image of the Orion Nebula was taken at the Public Observatory on January 5, 2015. It was taken with an 11-inch Celestron telescope and a filter that helps block light pollution. Viewing Our Universe: Hubble Space Telescope Named after astronomer Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Telescope is famous for taking extremely clear images. Its position in Earth orbit means that its images and spectra are not blurred by Earth's atmosphere. Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has provided insights into the temperatures, compositions, velocities, and magnetic fields of galaxies and stars. A joint project with the European Space Agency, Hubble is part of NASA's "Great Observatories" program. Hubble is powerful enough to resolve these tiny specks within the Orion Nebula. Each is a newborn solar system, a star and its planets forming while still shrouded by a thick disk of gas and dust. NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (STScI/ESA), the HST Orion Treasury Project Team, and L. Ricci (ESO). ←This iconid image of the Orion Nebula was created by combining 520 Hubble images from 2004 and 2005 with some ground-based images. NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team How to Learn More: http://hublbesite.org
10. SIAIPO_180428_128.JPG: Saturn Why does Saturn have "ears"? The 17th-century astronomer Christiaan Huygens was the first to suggest that the curious protrusions on both sides of Saturn were in fact a magnificent ring system. Scientists later discovered that the rings are made up of countless icy chunks of various sizes. Because Saturn's axis, like Earth's, is tilted, our view of the rings varies over a Saturnian year. Like Jupiter, Saturn is a gas giant made of hydrogen and helium. Because it rotates so fast, its atmosphere bulges outward at the equator. Saturn has at least 60 moons. The largest, Titan, is bigger than Mercury. Inside the Observatory You can sometimes view Saturn and its rings and moons during nighttime observing hours here at the Public Observatory. The image was taken through the Public Observatory-s 4-inch finderscope on June 1, 2013. The largest gap in Saturn's rings, the Cassini Division is visible. Viewing Our Solar System: Cassini-Huygens The first three spacecraft to visit Saturn -- Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 -- merely flew past it. The fourth, Cassini-Huygens, entered orbit around Saturn in 2004. Cassini released the Huygens probe to study Titan. Cassini itself focused on Saturn: its atmosphere, rings, magnetic field, and moons. It also captured images of Saturn's auroras. After completing its primary mission, Cassini went on to study seasonal changes on Saturn. Cassini is a joint mission of NASA and the European Space Agency. An artist's concept of Cassini orbiting Saturn. NASA/JPL-Caltech As the Huygens probe descended toward the surface of Titan, it took these images of a river system on that large moon. With temperatures below 290�F (170�C), Titan's lakes and rivers contain liquid methane and ethane, not water. ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona <-- In 2004 Cassini captured this mosaic of Saturn and its delicate rings. NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute How to Learn More: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov
11. SIAIPO_180428_132.JPG: Cook Telescope Become an astronomer with your visit to the Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory and its Cook Memorial Telescope. Harvard University purchased the telescope from Boller & Chivens in 1966 for its Oak Ridge Observatory. The telescope was used to train students and to teach the public. In 1969 it was dedicated to Chester Sheldon Cook, a friend of the Oak Ridge Observatory. During the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, Harvard loaned the telescope to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The Museum's goal was to "bring a telescope to the people." The telescope was so popular that Harvard gave it to the Smithsonian. During daylight hours, the telescope may be pointed at Venus. Smaller telescopes attached to it allow safe views of the Sun. During evening hours, it is often used to observe planets, double stars, and nebulae. Inside the Observatory Visitors can safely observe the Sun at the Public Observatory using a "Sun Gun" attached to the 4-inch finderscope. Viewing the Sun: The Cook Memorial Telescope's finderscope is often used with a "Sun Gun" to project a white light image of the Sun. This unfiltered but safe view of the Sun's surface, including any visible sunspots and darkening at the edge. The telescope is named for Chester Sheldon Cook, an optician, pianist, long-time member of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston and friend of the Oak Ridge Observatory. Pencil sketch by M. Gagan, 2/5/50; courtesy of Anna Sudarich Hillier; historian of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston. <-- The historic 16-inch reflecting telescope inside the Public Observatory. How to Learn More: http://airandspace.si.edu/observatory
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Description of Subject Matter: Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory:
Looking through telescopes at astronomical objects during the day? That's right! Come by the Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory to look through our telescopes and discover craters on the Moon, spots on the Sun (using safe solar filters), the phases of Venus, or other wonders of the universe. When the weather is clear, the Public Observatory is open for daytime telescopic viewing, guided by our staff of astronomy educators. Portable telescopes provide different views of the Sun and Moon. You can also participate in hands-on, interactive activities, learn more about astronomy and telescopes, and sometimes talk with a research astronomer during Astronomy Chat.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
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