October 29, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Wally Palcholka

The Night Sky Over America’s Beautiful National Parks

By Wally Pacholka (Landscape astrophotographer)

29 October 2023 (Sunday) at 10:00 am Philippine Standard Time

(28 October 2023, Saturday, 10:00 pm EDT)

This October 29, 2023 (Sunday), at 10:00 am, you are all invited to our 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker series online talk by the noted landscape astrophotographer, Mr. Wally Pacholka.

In this presentation, you will learn from an award-winning astrophotographer how to capture stunning landscape astrophotos that get published using simple equipment and technique.

Mr. Wally Pacholka is a  pioneer in the field of landscape astrophotography, and specializes in capturing National Park landscapes across the United States. His astrophotos have been published by NASA 47 times, National Geographic 29 times and TIME-LIFE 18 times, including four times as its Annual Picture of Year.

His work sells in more than 35 U.S. National Park gift shops and online at AstroPics.com. He currently has exhibits at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and the Natural History Museum in New York City.

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link

https://bit.ly/3QjKpf0 

or by scanning the QR code below

or in the poster shown here using your cellphone camera. After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. See you!

Feel free to share this wonderful webinar event to your friends and relatives.

October 21 & 28, 2023 ALP / Cutting Edge InOMN Free Telescope Viewing at Trinoma

Astronomcal League of the Philippines (ALP) in partnership with Cutting Edge will be having 2 FTV events this Oct 21 and 28, 2023 at 4th Floor Trinoma Roofdeck Garden from 5pm to 9pm. The Oct 21 event will also coincide with our yearly International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN). 

ALP will also be providing 2 live lectures on the spot on how to use a telescope as well as What’s up in the Sky which we will explain what objects that can be viewed on those dates. Several Celestron telescope models will be on display as well as to be use on the event.

Definitely, the Moon and planet Saturn will be good main targets on those dates. Feel free to being tour friends and relative to view the beauty of the night sky with us! Thanks in advance for the support!

September 17, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Dr. Valentin Martinez Pillet

“New Windows to the Sun”
Dr. Valentin Martinez Pillet
Solar Physicist and Director, U.S. National Solar Observatory Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.
September 17, 2023, Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (September 16, 2023 Saturday, 10:00 p.m. EDT)

We are currently at solar maximum (solar cycle 25), or at a period of heightened solar activity, wherein our Sun exhibits a lot of visible sunspots, solar flares, prominences and geomagnetic storms.The Astronomical League of the Philippines is very happy and honored to present an online lecture by Dr. Valentin Martinez Pillet . on the topic – “New Windows to the Sun: The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and Its Companions” this coming September 17, 2023, Sunday, at 10:00 a.m. Philippine Standard Time.
Dr Valentin Martinez Pillet is a solar physicist and the current Director of the U.S. National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Boulder, Colorado.

The NSO operates the 4-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  Prior to Dr. Pillet’s appointment as Director of the National Solar Observatory in 2013, he served as a Senior Scientist at the Instituto de Astrofíscia de Canarias, where he was the Co-Principal Investigator for the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager instrument aboard the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter mission, and the Principal Investigator for the Imaging Magnetograph Experiment that has flown as part of the Sunrise balloon-borne telescope.
Dr. Pillet earned his bachelor’s degree from the Science University of Valencia and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of La Laguna, both in Spain. He was a member of the Science Working Team of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission and was President of Division II of the IAU (“The Sun & the Heliosphere”) from 2010 to 2012.

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link –

https://bit.ly/3PAxQMh

or by scanning the QR code below using your cellphone camera.

After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. Feel free to invite your friends and relatives as well. Thank you!

August 13, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Hillary Diane Andales

“Searching for the Oldest Stars and Galaxies in the Universe”
By Hillary Diane Andales
Ph.D. Student in Astronomy & Astrophysics, The University of Chicago
Filipino Science Communicator

On August 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (August 12, 2023 Saturday, 10:00 p.m. EDT), the Astronomical League of the Philippines would like to invite everyone to an online lecture by Ms. Hillary Diane Andales, a young and brilliant Filipina physicist who will talk on “Searching for the Oldest Stars and Galaxies in the Universe”.

Ms. Hillary Diane Andales studies the oldest stars and galaxies in the cosmos. A native of Abuyog near Tacloban, Leyte, and a graduate of Philippine Science High School – Eastern Visayas Campus, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this year, and she will soon start her Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
While at MIT, she received the Barrett Prize and the Chambliss Medal for her outstanding research on galactic archaeology. Eager to make the physics community more inclusive, she also served as President of the MIT Society of Physics Students. Outside of MIT, she is a dynamic and creative Filipino science communicator whose work has reached more than 8 million viewers worldwide. In 2017, she received $400,000 worth of prizes after winning the international competition, Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
(You can follow her work at https://hillaryandales.com/.)

Abstract:
What was the early universe like? This is the big question that stellar and galactic archaeologists seek to answer. Much like how archaeologists search for fossils to learn about the early Earth, we look for cosmic fossils, such as billions-of-years-old stars and galaxies, to learn about the early universe. Using the clues from these fossils, we can answer even more big questions: How do galaxies form? Where do heavy elements like gold come from? What is the nature of dark matter? The emerging fields of galactic and stellar archaeology might hold some clues!

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link –

https://bit.ly/3DycCHY

or by scanning the QR code below using your cellphone camera.

After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. Feel free to share to your friends and relatives. See you!

July 22, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Br. Guy Consolmagno , S.J.

“Vesta and the Chaotic Formation of Planets”

by Br. Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J. (Director, Vatican Observatory)
 
The Astronomical League of the Philippines is inviting everyone to join us this July 22, 2023 (Saturday) at 8:30 pm Philippine Standard Time (8:30 am EDT, 12:30 UTC) for an online talk on “Vesta and the Chaotic Formation of Planets”by no other than the Pope’s astronomer and the Director of the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Br. Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J.
 
Abstract:
Ten years ago, NASA’s Dawn mission was sent to asteroid 4 Vesta to inspect, up close, an intact protoplanet from the dawn of the solar system. Except, Vesta’s overall density is too low and its core and crust too big to fit anything like what we expect an intact protoplanet to look like. Instead, Vesta is giving us new clues to planet formation and evolution in a violent early solar system.
 
Biography:
Br. Guy Consolmagno S.J. is the director of the Vatican Observatory and a planetary scientist studying meteorites and asteroids. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, all in the field of planetary science. He entered the Jesuit order in 1989 and joined the staff of the Vatican Observatory in 1993.
Along with more than 200 scientific publications, he is the author of several popular books on astronomy and the relationship between faith and science. In 2014, he was recognized by the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences with the Carl Sagan Medal for excellence in public communication in planetary sciences. In 2000, the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 1983 UA1 as 4597 Consolmagno in his honor.

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link

https://bit.ly/3pCz3s0 

or by scanning the QR code below using your cellphone camera.

After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. See you! Feel free to share to your friends and relatives as well!

June 24, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Br. Robert Macke , S.J.

A talk on falling stars, ” Meteorites in the Vatican”

Please join us this June 24, 2023 (Saturday) at 8:30 pm Philippine Standard Time (8:30 am EDT, 12:30 UTC) for an online talk on meteorites by Br. Robert Macke, S.J. , Curator of the Vatican Meteorite Collection.

Biography:

Brother Robert Macke S.J. is a research scientist and curator of meteorites at the Vatican Observatory. He received a bachelor of physics from MIT in 1996, then studied at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, to receive a Master of Arts in physics in 1999. He taught astronomy for two years at Bowling Green State University in Ohio before entering the Jesuit order in 2001. As a Jesuit brother, he received a Master of Arts in philosophy from St. Louis University in 2006, and after a year teaching astronomy at Rockhurst University began work toward a Ph.D. in physics (planetary science specialty) at the University of Central Florida, which he completed in 2010. From 2011-2013, he studied for a Master of Theological Studies at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and then joined the staff of the Vatican Observatory in 2013. He became the curator of the Vatican Meteorite Collection in 2013. To date, he has been involved in numerous research collaborations, including membership in the science teams of the Lucy and the OSIRIS-REx space probes, and has applied his research techniques to a large number of moon rocks from the Apollo missions. Outside of research, he makes YouTube videos both for the Vatican Observatory and for his own channel, “Macke MakerSpace.”

Abstract:

The Vatican Observatory is a research institution with a long and proud tradition in the astronomical sciences. The work of the observatory, done by Jesuit scientists, serves as a sign to the world of the compatibility of faith and science as well as the Catholic Church’s support of science. In addition to traditional astronomy, the Jesuits of the observatory also study theoretical physics, planetary science, and laboratory work with meteorites. The Vatican collection of over 1,200 meteorite specimens is housed at the Vatican Observatory. Research with the meteorites focuses primarily on physical properties: density, porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and thermal properties. These measurements are not limited to the Vatican collection; through international collaborations, we also study other collections. I will also speak a little bit about the application of my work to the OSIRIS-REx space mission and the specimens from the asteroid Bennu that it is delivering to the Earth.

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link –

https://bit.ly/3X3pXRm

or by scanning the QR code below  using your cellphone camera.

After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. See you!

May 20, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Dr. Debra Elmegreen

“A Glimpse of Galaxies at the Dawn of the Universe”
by Debra M. Elmegreen, Ph.D. (President, International Astronomical Union)
May 20, 2023 (Saturday), 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (8:30 a.m. EDT)

Our home planet Earth resides in a spiral galaxy which is the Milky Way. Have you ever wondered what galaxies are, their structure, and how they are formed in the Universe? Please join us this May 20, 2023 (Saturday) at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (8:30 a.m. EDT) for an online talk on ““A Glimpse of Galaxies at the Dawn of the Universe”, by no other than Dr. Debra M. Elmegreen, the current President of the. International Astronomical Union. Dr. Elmegreen’s talk will explore the composition and structure of galaxies across cosmic time, probing the evolution of galaxies as they grow and interact with one another.

Dr. Debra M. Elmegreen was the Professor of Astronomy on the Maria Mitchell Chair at Vassar College from 1994 to 2022, after joining the faculty in 1985. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University (the first female to major in astrophysics) and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University and was a Carnegie Observatories Postdoctoral Fellow (the firs Her research focuses on the structure and evolution of galaxies at optical, infrared and radio wavelengths. She enjoys observing with the Hubble Space Telescope and now, with the James Webb Space Telescope. Dr. Elmegreen is President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) — the first U.S. female to hold this position in its 103-year history — and Past President of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link –

https://bit.ly/3M0yr84

or by scanning the QR code in the poster or shown here

using your cellphone camera. After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. See you! Please feel free tobshare to your friends and relatives as well!

 

 

May 5/6, 2023 ALP Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Image Gallery

Below are images taken by members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines. Therefore, all images are the property of ALP as well as the imager mentioned. Any intention to use the images should seek permission to the ALP as well as the main author of the image.

Jett Aguilar

Images taken using Canon EOS R8 mirrorless camera with Canon EF1.8X extender on Takahashi TSA102 Refractor. 1/250sec exposure at ISO 100.

 

Peter Benedict Tubalinal

Image taken using Vivo V27e Smartphone afocal on Celestron Nexstar 8i SCT with Celestron ELux 25mm Plossl.

 

 

 

April 30, 2023 ALP Astronomy Experts Speaker Series featuring Dr. Daniel Green

Comets, the so called denizens and visitors from deep space, have inspired awe and even fear since ancient times. On April 30, 2023 (Sunday), at 9;30 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (April 29, Saturday, 9:30 p.m. EDT), please join us for an online talk on “A Brief Tutorial on Comets” by Daniel W. E. Green, Ph.D. , Director, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT}
 
Dr. Green will talk about what comets are, how they are becoming harder to define in terms of their physical nature, how they are discovered and named, some statistics regarding comets, and how amateur astronomers can contribute greatly to the science of comets.
 
Dr. Daniel Green has been the Director of the International Astronomical Union’s CBAT since 2000. The CBAT is responsible for the dissemination of information on transient astronomical events (i.e. comets) and various IAU news including the announcement of designations and names of various celestial objects. He is involved in research of small bodies of the solar system — particularly, comets and meteors but also minor planets. He collects and archives/publishes data on comets from observers around the world, and these data are published in the International Comet Quarterly.
Dr. Green is also a member of the International Astronomical Union’s 15-member Committee on Small Bodies Nomenclature, which approves names for comets and minor planets (including trans-Neptunian objects) and their satellites.
He obtained his Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from the University of Durham (U.K.).
 
Register now for this free Zoom online talk using this link – bit.ly/40eVpvX or by scanning the QR code below or in the poster shown here using your cellphone camera.
 
 
After registration, check your registered e-mail for the Zoom meeting link. See you!

April 20, 2023 ALP Partial Solar Eclipse Image Gallery

Below are images taken by members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines. Therefore, all images are the property of ALP as well as the imager mentioned. Any intention to use the images should seek permission to the ALP as well as the main author of the image.

James Kevin Ty 

Images taken using Canon EOS M6 mirrorless camera on Borg 76ED Refractor with TV 2.5x Powermate.  Baader 3.8 Solar Filter mounted on Vixen GPDX mount. 1/1000 sec exposure at ISO 200.

 

Jett Aguilar

Images taken using Lunt 100 hydrogen alpha telescope to capture whole disk images of the partially eclipsed sun as well as a Takahashi TSA 102 refractor with a Baader Astrosolar filter (ND5) and a Canon 7D DSLR at prime focus.

 

Kendrick Cole Ty

Partial Solar Eclipse at Maximum taken using Canon EOS 500D DSLR on Cankn EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS L Lens set at 400mm f/11. 1/750 sec at ISO 100.

 

Raymund Sarmiento

Images taken using a Mobile Phone Huawei Mate20Pro with a Kase Mobile Scope and a DIY 3d Printed Baader Solar Fllter Adapter. Tracked using a Desk Top Polarie Sky Tracker. 

 

Val Thomas Abapo

Image taken from Cebu, Philippines using WO GT71 Refractor with WO 0.8 Reducer  and Celestron Skyris 132c camera.

 

Peter Benedict Tubalinal 

Images taken using Orion ST80 Refractor with 15mm Expanse Eyepiece and Smartphone.

 

Steven Bacalian

Images taken using Canon EOS 60D DSLR with Celestron C90 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope mounted on Skywatcher Star Adventurer. 

 

Vincent Gella

Partial Solar Eclipse at Maximum taken using Celestron Powerseeker 80MM with Celestron 32mm Plossl with 
Baader Solar Filter 5.0 and Celestron EQ-2 Equatorial mount.

 

Renan Acosta

Images taken using Samsung Fold 4 Smartphone with 30x zoom.

 

Jowen Kibtiani 

Images taken from Polomolok , South Cotabato using Real Me 8 5GB Smartphone with Celestron 20mm Erecting Eyepiece on Celestron Powerseeker 70EQ Refractor on EQ-2 mount.

 

Miguel Cano

Safe projection method used by Miguel Cano using binoculars to show a sharper eclipsed Sun. 

 

Teddy-Ty Chua

Image taken using Samsung S21 ultra.. 70x zoom and Solar Filter.

 

Fung Yu

Image taken using Canon 70D DSLR with Canon EF300mm lens.