February 16, 2014 ALP NAW Opening Activity Report

February 16, 2014 ALP NAW Opening Activity Report
by James Kevin Ty , Christopher Louie Lu , Norman Marigza & Jett Aguilar
Images by Alberto Lao

Last February 16 , members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines (ALP) held their NAW 2014 opening activity via the 2014 Philippine Astronomy Convention at Manila Planetarium. Members who were present were ALP President James Kevin Ty, wife Charito and son Kendrick Cole KC Ty; VP Jett Aguilar, Treasurer and NAW Chairman Andrew Ian Chan & Iah Serna ; Secretary Christopher Louie Lu, Auditor Edgar Ang, directors Arnel Campos , John Ray Cabrera , Peter Benedict Tubalinal ; Alberto Lao, Jan Karlo Hernandez, Jason Comia, Marlon Monzon, Per Edman , Manuel Goseco, Mark Ian Singson, Norman Marigza, Edge Lat, Justine Garcia, Aileen Rose Sasot, Ronald Sison, Marie Avenir, Planetarium curator Bel Pabunan and staffs Nel Lagda, Liza Quitlong and numerous students from RTU Astro Society and Junior Philippine Physics Society (JPPS).

NAW opening started at around 1:30pm with ALP NAW Chairman Andrew Ian Chan welcoming members and guests to the opening event. The the Philippine National Anthem was played and proceeded by a prayer invocation by ALP director Peter Benedict Tubalinal. Afterwards, Planetarium curator Bel Pabunan and ALP President James Kevin Ty delivered their opening remarks.

First lecturer was ALP Secretary Christopher Louie Lu who gave an interesting lecture on Exploration and Discovery of Exoplanets . Extrasolar Planets are planets revolving around a star other than our Sun, also known as 'Exoplanets'. Giordano Bruno, a Catholic priest, first came up with the idea of exoplanets by stating 'that there are other Earth's revolving around other Suns." There are currently just over a thousand exoplanets discovered and there are about a thousands more waiting for confirmation. Planetary scientists and Astronomers already have a model & working knowledge of how solar systems form, namely our own. We have an ordinary middle-aged star with terrestrial or 'rocky' planets close to our star, gas giants, dwarf planets and then we have the comets, asteroids & other left over materials from the formation of the solar system. But exoplanets seems to defy our understanding of solar system formation as there appears to be no consistency in their formation.

Methods of Detection:

1.) Direct Imaging - Mostly using Infra-Red sensitive detectors to find exoplanets that are relatively close to our Solar System.

2.) Transit Method - Identifies the slight dips in a stars brightness caused when a planet passes in front of it.

3.) Radial Velocity - That detects the wobbles a planet induces in a stars motion.

4.) Gravitational Microlensing - a lenslike effect in which light rays are bent when passing through the gravitational field of such massive objects as galaxies, black holes & exoplanets.

Types of Exoplanets:

Categorized by Temperature:

1.) Cold - Exoplanets that are too far from its parent star. (Water turns to ice.)

2.) Warm - Exoplanets that are situated within the parent stars Habitable Zone. (Possible liquid water on planets surface.)

3.) Hot - Exoplanets that are too close to its parent star. (Planets temperature is too hot for water.)

Categorized by Size:

1.) Jovian - Exoplanets equal to or greater than 1 Jupiter mass.

2.) Neptunian - Exoplanets with a mass between 10 to 50 Earth masses.

3.) Superterran - Exoplanets with a mass between 2 to 10 Earth masses.

4.) Terran - Exoplanets with 1 to 2 Earth masses.

5.) Sub-terran - Exoplanets with a mass between .5 to 1 Earth mass.

By combining these two categories we have a general idea what type of exoplanet it is. So far, we yet to find a exoplanetary system that looks like our own.

Circumstellar Habitable Zone - is the region around a star within which planetary-mass objects with sufficient atmospheric pressure can support liquid water at their surfaces. Also known as “Goldilocks Zone”.

This was followed by ALPer Norman Marigza who presented his lecture entitled World Puzzle: Comparative Planetology. With the advent of satellite technology and as we continue to understand our own planet, we are able to understand other bodies in the solar system as well. Comparative planetology is a process of learning about the bodies in the solar system by comparing their properties and features from one another. By analyzing the features of solar system bodies, and comparing them with that of Earth, we can better understand the processes at work in them.

Then a 15 minute break to let members and guests have some snacks and drinks prepared by the organization. They also use this opportunity to have the traditional group shot taken at the entrance of Manila Planetarium.

Last but not the least is the lecture of ALP VP Jett Aguilar entitled Practical Solar Observation for the Amateur Astronomer .
The Sun is an easily accessible astronomical object for amateur astronomers to observe and image all year round using small to medium-sized telescopes with proper solar filters. The Sun’s structure, layers (core, radiative zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona), granulations, sunspots and the solar cycle were introduced. The proper use of and the different types of solar filters for solar observation were presented including white light filters (e.g. mylar, glass, foil), solar projection, Herschel wedge, and narrow band filters (hydrogen alpha and calcium-K line). White light sunspot features including faculae and sunspot numbering, sunspot classification schemes (Zurich and McIntosh) as well as hydrogen alpha and Ca-K line solar features (plages, filaments, prominences, flares, super granulations) were also shown and discussed.

After the conclusion of the ALP NAW Opening Activity, they proceeded to SM Mall of Asia By The Bay to conduct a free public stargazing session.

ALP Treasurer and NAW Chairman Andrew Ian Chan welcome members and guests to the 2014 Philippine Astronomy Convention.	ALPers and guests stand as the Philippine National Anthem was played.
ALP director Peter Benedict Tubalinal leads the prayer invocation.	ALPers and guests bow down their head as ALPer Peter leads the prayer invocation.
Planetarium curator Bel Pabunan address her welcome remarks to welcome the start of the Philippine Astronomy Convention.	ALP President James Kevin Ty address his welcome remarks to welcome the start of the Philippine Astronomy Convention.
ALPers and guests listen attentively as first lecturer of the day starts.	ALP Secretary Christopher Louie Lu gave a good lecture presentation entitled Exploration and Discovery of Exoplanets .
ALPer Norman Marigza presented his lecture entitled World Puzzle: Comparative Planetology.	ALP NAW 2014 Banner is displayed at the front of National Museum Planetarium.
ALP VP Jett Aguilar also presented an interesting lecture entitled Practical Solar Observation for the Amateur Astronomer.	ALP VP Jett Aguilar here showing how a H-Alpha scope system works.
ALP President James Kevin Ty, also a solar fanatic, gives extra pointers to the crowd aside from what Jett had shared.	ALP VP Jett Aguilar here entertaining questions onhis lecture.
ALP's Top Guns here discussing on the sidelines while another ALP Top Gun entertaining questions on Exoplanets.	ALP Treasurer / NAW Chairman Andrew Ian Chan inviting members and guests to attend the free pubic stargazing session later at SM Mall of Asia By the Bay North Wing area.