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July 2009

ASTRONOTES
Incorporating FRIENDS' NEWSLETTER This Summer's Shows The Universe comes to Belfast City Hall Neil and Buzz's Excellent Adventure Science on the Moon Stars and Stripes forever?

ARMAGHPLANETARIUM


2 Astronotes July 2009

This Summer's Shows
By Julie Thompson, Digital Theatre Manager Once again Armagh Planetarium will be presenting a wonderful set of shows for our visitors this summer. As well as a traditional live astronomy presentation, our shows will take our audiences back in time to ancient Greece to follow the adventures of a mighty hunter, through millions of kilometres to the deserts of Mars and on a stunning tour across the whole sweep of modern astronomy. For our many visitors wanting to know more about what they can see in the night sky, we suggest `Pole Position: Summer Skies', created here in Armagh. Presented by one of our education team, the show starts by finding the Summer Triangle, and in thirty minutes or so leads the audience through the celestial wonders we can see on a summer evening. If you are a beginner who wants to start looking upward and know what you are seeing or an experienced skywatcher who just fancies relaxing through a tour of the constellations, this show is for you. For small people and their families we are presenting "Legends of the Night Sky: Orion", a show which retells some of the myths about the character behind the constellation. Presented mainly in a traditional animation style, this show is a lot of fun with humour for all the family. Orion introduces the audience to the historical background to the constellations before bringing to life the story of the demi-god, from his birth through his triumphs, tragedies and romances, ending with a look at the constellation itself and its neighbours in the sky. Created by Spitz Inc, this bright and breezy show is sure to be a hit with our visitors. Our other entirely new show is the beautiful `We are astronomers'. Beginning by asking the question "what do astronomers do?" the show answers it with a visually stunning tour of contemporary astronomy. When I say contemporary,

Celestial Strongman Orion tells the story of the Greek hero in delightful animations. I mean it! This show concentrates on the latest observatories, techniques and instruments. The Very Large Telescope in Chile, the James Webb Space Telescope, Galaxy Zoo and CERN's Large Hadron Collider all are covered. Aimed at families, the show is exciting and fast-paced, and certainly shows the audience what an exciting, mind-boggling adventure astronomy is today. Adding to this show's appeal is the narration by Scottish actor David Tennant (maybe you've heard of him, he stars in some TV show about a time-traveller). Co-starring with David Tennant are the 2.0s, cute little flat creatures which stand in for the audience, asking the questions for the public. To borrow one of the advertising slogans from the new Star Trek movie, "This is not your father's planetarium show", it flies along, edited at a breakneck pace to suit today's tastes. Anyone who comes to this show thinking that astronomers are solitary old men in tweed jackets will leave re-educated. Hopefully many of the audience will leave wanting to be astronomers

Image Credit: Spitz Inc


July 2009 Astronotes 3 themselves! `We are astronomers' was created by the National Space Centre in collaboration with several UK planetaria including Armagh.

we

are

ASTRONOMERS
David Tennant
narrated by

`Invaders of Mars' has been on our programme of shows for a few months now and it is proving very popular. Produced in collaboration between ourselves and Evans and Sutherland, `Invaders' covers our knowledge of the Red Planet from the fantasies of Percival Lowell to the reality of Phoenix Lander in a panorama of Martian history and landscapes. One of the many pleasing aspects of this show is its coverage of ESA's Mars Express missions, which has provided some lovely imagery yet is often overlooked in favour of its better publicised NASA counterparts. Another of the show's many pleasures is the magnificent narration by Tom Baker. Best known these days for his voice-overs in `Little Britain', Tom Baker used to star in the same TV show as David Tennant does today. Listen to his out-takes during

Doctor who? Perhaps next year we will present a show narrated by Christopher Eccleston or Peter Davidson (but please not Sylvester McCoy!) the closing credits! You can discover more about our summer shows, including seeing trailers for them, by visiting http://armaghplanet.com/html/shows_ now_playing.html.

By Robert Hill, Northern Ireland Space Office As part of the UK and Ireland International Year of Astronomy 2009 program, the touring `From Earth to the Universe' exhibition will be on display in the grounds of Belfast City Hall from 10 June to 17 July 2009. The goal of the exhibition is to place astronomical images in "nontraditional" locations to expose astronomy to the general public in an unexpected yet accessible manner. The display is comprised of 25 stunning celestial images. These images have been selected to

Iris Nebula Sometimes called the Iris Nebula because of its flowering shape, this object is located in the constellation Cepheus (the king). The glowing nebula is caused by light from the central star reflecting off dust particles left over from when the star was formed.

Image Credit: www.fromtheearthtotheuniverse.org

From Earth to the Universe to Belfast

Image Credit: National Space Centre

"Tom Baker's narration is one of the show's pleasures"


4 Astronotes July 2009 represent the wide range of telescopes and observations available in modern astronomy. They are just a small sample of the wide range of objects in the Universe. Further details of the images that will be on display can be found at http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/ Entrance to the exhibition in the City Hall grounds is free. The display coincided with the Belfast Carnival (formerly the Lord Mayor's Show) on Saturday 27 June and this year the parade will have an astronomy and space theme to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy in Northern Ireland.

The Night Sky in July
By Nigel Farell, Education Support Officer Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of our night sky guide, and the first one ever for me. I would like to thank Tracy for all her articles over the past months, and I am sure her new offerings will be just as interesting and informative. As we are now entering the summer months you'll need to stay up quite a bit later as the days are longer and the nights shorter. If we take our sky to be set for mid July the Sun rises at just after 5am and sets around 9.20 pm but it is still
Image Credit: via wikimedia.org

quite light at this time .This guide, therefore, will be set for around midnight on July 15. As always, it is a good idea to wait for ten to fifteen minutes to let your eyes become adjusted to the dark. It's also useful to have a compass with you, to get you bearings, and also bring a planisphere or sky chart as a guide, as always we have included our chart for your convenience,

"Venus will be nestled in the horns of Taurus"
There are several planets visible to stargazers at this time. Jupiter, the largest planet, rises in the SE around 11.10pm and will be clearly visible at midnight between the zodiac constellations of Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn will have set in the western sky by around 11.45pm. However, if you are lucky to have a dark enough sky you may just be able to catch a fleeting glimpse of it in Leo, low in the western sky. Mars will also be visible rising just below the Pleiades in the northeast around 2am and will be followed shortly after by Venus, which will also rise around 2.30am in the same region of sky. Venus should be relatively easy to spot, as it will be nestled between the horns of Taurus the bull. The Moon, which will be in its last quarter on 15July will just be beginning to rise at midnight and can be found between the constellations of Aries and Pisces.

Milky Way from the outside A by the Spitzer Space Telescope convincing evidence that we live distinguished by two main spiral in this artist's impression.

survey conducted in 2008 offered in a large galaxy arms as pictured


July 2009 Astronotes 5 to when studying or explaining the constellations. However, the mythologies of many other cultures, not least those of Celtic mythology, often have legends that have deep astronomical connections. Hercules the famous strongman of Greek mythology is celebrated in Celtic myths not for his strength but essentially as a fertility god represented in chalk figures such as The Long Man of Wilmington, the mysterious guardian of the South Downs and the giant at Cerne Abbas near Dorchester. The giant at Cerne Abbas is sometimes referred to as Helith who is thought to be a local god worshiped by the people of Cerne. Students of human culture and development claim a connection between Helith and Hercules as the figure is thought to be an earthly depiction of this god with his club.
Image Credit: NASA

Starswarm M13 is home to over 100,000 stars and located at a distance of 25,000 light-years. These stars are packed together in a ball, approximately 150 light-years across it is likely that they will spend their entire lives whirling around in the cluster. In the mythology of ancient Rome, Venus was originally the goddess of gardens and fields but she later came to be recognised as the equivalent to the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. Venus was worshiped in many roles. She is sometimes noted as the mother of the hero Aeneas, the founder of the Roman people. She was also worshipped as the bringer of good fortune, victory and as the protector of feminine chastity. Though it must be said that the latter role brings about some curiosity as it was said Venus was often unfaithful to her husband Vulcan. Mars was among Venus' many lovers who were also said to have included Adonis a beautiful youth loved by both Persephone and Aphrodite. Venus was also the mother of Cupid, the god of love. Mythology is unsure of Cupid's father but it is believed to be either Mars or Mercury.

"the Milky Way is steeped in mythology"
Around midnight Hercules can be found in the mid southwestern sky but do not look for an image of a man, look instead for the central part that looks like a keystone. The constellation also contains one of the most beautiful sights of the summer night skies in the Northern hemisphere. M13 the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules is just visible to the naked eye if the right conditions are available to you. However, it is best seen through a small telescope or even a pair of binoculars. It is thought to contain as many as 300,000 stars and occupies a region of space some 100 light years (31 parsecs) across. Probably the most beautiful sight of the summer night sky however, and by far the easiest to see is the Milky Way. You will need a dark sky to get the best possible view of the Milky Way as it arches across the eastern sky. The Milky Way runs from Perseus low in the north-northeast through the constellation of Cassopeia and onwards through the Summer Triangle of Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila, its centre should be just visible as Sagittarius appears low in the south-southwest. The Milky Way is another astronomical phenomenon that is steeped in mythology and legend. One such Greek legend has it that this white streak of stars was a river of milk, while the ancient Romans called it the Via Galactica,

"legends of other cultures, such as the Celts have deep astronomical connections"
The mythology of the sky is generally associated to the stories and myths of either the Greeks or Romans and these are normally the stories that astronomers and students of astronomy turn


6 Astronotes July 2009 or "road made of milk", however, these are just a couple of stories from many which exist in countries and cultures world wide, it is certainly a fascinating subject to study. I hope that you will find this guide useful, if you get the chance and clear skies, why not go and see what you can find.

Moon Phases, July 2009
Tue 7 July Wed 15 July Wed 22 July Tue 28 July Full MOON Last Quarter NEW MOON First Quarter

The Voyage of a Lifetime
By Orla O'Donnell, Education Support Officer Eight years after the President John F Kennedy announced to the special joint session of the American Congress that it was Americans ambition to land a man safely on the Moon three men waited to enter the history books. It was the 16 July 1969, Kennedy had been assassinated and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida named in his honour. The men who awaited the launch were Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Model Pilot Edwin Aldrin. These men would go on to complete one of the greatest journeys in history and earn eternal fame as the first men to reach the Moon. At 09.32 local time the first stage of the Saturn V rocket stage S-IC, which were powered by five F1 engines blasted of with a force that would have shaken the Earth of the surrounding areas. The blast was heard by the one million people that watched the event live in Florida and the estimated 600 million people that viewed it at home on their TV screens. Only three men were allowed with in three miles of the Saturn V and they were sitting in it. The Saturn V rocket released itself from its support structure by blasting bolts and then slowly the monstrous machine that was headed into space. The S- IC stage of the rocket sent the crew into Earth orbit in twelve, minutes where they remained for 2 hours and 33 minutes. The next stage of the Saturn V initiated once again after orbiting the Earth, the S-IVB's engine took the crew into trans Lunar trajectory, the crew were all the time soaring closer to the Moon. After another 30 minutes the command service module (CSM) separated from the last stage of the Saturn V. The CSM named Columbia then turned 180 degrees to dock with the Lunar Module Eagle which had previously been underneath it. Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins then had a three day journey eating, sleep and coexisting in the cramped conditions (however compared to early NASA spacecraft they were more roomy) of the Apollo 11. On the 20th the retro rocket burned

Image Credit: NASA

The Power and the Glory The Saturn V rocket burned 10 000 gallons of fuel per second here. Here we see the colossal machine which sent Apollo 11's crew on the way.


July 2009 Astronotes 7 to set the craft into lunar orbit then the Lunar Module and the Command Service Module prepared to separate. Collins stayed abroad the CSM Columbia while side by side Aldrin and Armstrong stood aboard the LM Eagle. Finally the men aboard the LM were ready to make history, as the crew descended to the Moon surface they realized that they were miles west of there intended target. Armstrong used the fine guidance control and Aldrin kept an eye on the altitude and velocity data, finally with only 20 seconds of descent fuel left they landed on the Moon in a region reassuringly called the `Sea of Tranquillity'. dust by changing their clothes and by increasing the atmospheric pressure in the LM. Finally the crews were reunited and the men set out on their homeward, journey. The first step was to say goodbye to Eagle, releasing it from the CSM Colombia. It then took the crew two days to return to Earth. They reentered Earth's atmosphere on 24 July splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The crews were recovered by a helicopter an hour after they splashed down. The men were removed and due to fears of contamination by lunar microbes, they were put in quarantine for three weeks. Most of time the men were held is a small caravan ­ with all the time spent in confided spaces its no wonder NASA have such a stringent vetting system for their astronauts.

"...Aldrin's less famous but very poignant first words were `Magnificent desolation'..."
After the tension of the landing and the subsequent feeling of relief Armstrong and Aldrin rested and ate before venturing out into the "brave new world" that was the surface of the Moon. Six and a half hours after landing Armstrong deployed a camera from the side of the Eagle and then became the first person to walk on the Moon. Nineteen minutes later Armstrong was joined by Aldrin whose less famous but very poignant first words were "Magnificent desolation". The astronauts were on the Moon for two hours in this time they collected 22kg(48lb) of Moon samples , took some photos and conducted some experiments (see following article). Armstrong and Aldrin conducted a short conversation with United Sates Presented Richard Nixon. They also left some objects behind them, a plaque an American flag and a memorial to men who lost their lives in the Apollo I and Soyuz 1 disasters. Aldrin entered the LM first followed by Armstrong the men waited on the Moon surface for a further 12 hours they ate some food and slept. The men then fired the LM ascent engine so they would rendezvous with Collins who was in lunar orbit. When the LM and CSM safely docked the crew tried to minimise the transfer of lunar

The Man in the Moon One of the most iconic images of all time shows Buzz Aldrin on the Moon and if you look at his visor you can just see the reflection of Neil Armstrong. The adventure was over and the Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins became national heroes and world wide celebrities, they toured the world for 45 days on the `Great Leap' tour. There would be more missions to the Moon and ten more men would experience the `magnificent desolation' of the surface of the Moon. No mission however could capture the excitement and senses of adventure of Apollo 11.

Image Credits: NASA


8 Astronotes July 2009

How NASA proved the Moon isn't made of cheese!
By Tracy McConnell, Education Support Officer Apollo 11 was a great technological achievement for mankind, but it was the following mission's that continued to investigate the Moon through collection of samples for further study on Earth and deployment of scientific experimental equipment. Each of the following five successful Apollo missions landed in different geological areas of interest on the Moon. Apollo 12 landed on the Ocean of Storms, the largest of the dark plains on the surface of the Moon; Apollo 14 landed on the Fra Mauro formation, a structure formed from the ejection of material due to a lunar impact. Apollo 15 landed in the Hadley-Apennine region, another dark plain near the Apennine mountain region. This was also the first mission to take a lunar rover, which allowed the astronauts to travel further from the landing site in order to collect a greater selection of lunar samples. Apollo 16 and 17 had more daring landing sites. Apollo 16 landed in the Descartes Highlands, and Apollo 17 landed in the Taurus-Littrow Highlands. These missions returned over 360 kg (800 pounds) of lunar material and rock to Earth for study. Three main types of rock were found. The dark regions of the Moon, called the maria or seas, are composed of the rock basalt. Nearly 26% of the near side of the Moon is basalt whereas only 2% of the far side is. Most of this type of rock is found in the areas of very low elevation such as the very large impact basins. The grey colour of this rock is due to the presence of dark coloured minerals. The regions of the Moon not covered by basalt are known as the lunar highlands and they consist mostly of ancient lunar surface rock called anorthosite, a calcium rich white rock, along with

other materials thrown out due to the creation of impact basins.

"the lunar rover allowed the astronauts to travel much further from the landing site"
Another type of lunar rock is found in the many craters on the surface of the Moon. These are lunar breccias. They are rocks produced by smashing, melting and mixing the lunar surface materials, due to meteorite impacts. As well as the routine collection of samples, the astronauts for each mission deployed an unmanned automatic scientific station called

Where we touched the Moon Every Apollo mission landed within or on the edge of a large lunar basin.

Image Credit: NASA/


July 2009 Astronotes 9 Generator (nuclear power pack) and a communications centre, with leads running out to each of the experiments which were deployed in an array around it. The power required for the whole station, including the experiments, was a less than the requirement for a 75 watt light bulb. Four of these experiments led to a greater understanding of the composition of the Moon. Lunar Passive Seismic Experiment
Image Credit: NASA

Lunar science in action This is an artist's concept of the layout of Apollo 15's ALSEP. The relative positions of the instruments are as planned and similar to actual configuration once deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, ALSEP. Each ALSEP contained slightly different experiments depending on the mission's specific requirements. They had to be placed a distance of at least 90m from the Lunar Module to prevent any damage occurring when the LM left the Moon.

(PSE), Lunar Active Seismic Experiment (ASE), Lunar Surface Magnetometer (LSM) and Heat Flow Experiments (HFE).

"Moonquakes...occur monthly"
Thanks to these experiments we now know that the Moon has a crust, mantle and core, like the Earth. The crust is between 60 and 70 km thick (3 times that of the Earth's crust) with the mantle between the crust and the core. The core is probably mostly made of iron and sulphur and has a radius of about 450 km, this is less than 25% of the total radius. Another interesting discovery was the frequency of Moonquakes. They occur monthly, as the Moon orbits the Earth, indicating that they are being caused by lunar tides. These quakes are much smaller than any quakes that occur on Earth, most measuring less than 2 on the Richter scale. There were many other discoveries about the

"Most of what we know about the Moon's interior comes from Apollo"
They were designed to continue to monitor each mission's landing site for a year after deployment, (Apollo 17's ALSEP was designed to last two years) however some actually ran for eight years until they were shut down by Mission Control on 30th September 1977. Most of what we know about the Moon's interior is due to the extensive measurements recorded by these five sets of experiments. The ALSEP generally consisted of a central station containing a Radioisotope Thermoelectric


10 Astronotes July 2009 by the ALSEP experiments. One of these was a radical new theory of the Moon's origin which we'll look at in a future Astronotes Some interesting websites that may further explain these discoveries are listed below if you are interested in finding out more. http://www.honeysucklecreek.net/msfn_missions/ALSEP/hl_alsep.html http://www.myspacemuseum.com/alsep01.htm http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ ap11ann/top10sci.htm Measuring moonquakes Aldrin deploys Apollo 11's passive seismometer. There is only one photograph of Neil Armstrong on the Moon as he had the camera most of the time! Moon that were made due to the study of moon rocks and the readings and measurements taken It will be interesting to see what further discoveries can be made should NASA's Constellation Project follow through and we return to the Moon.
Image Credit: NASA

Stars and Stripes Forever?
By Alyson Kerr, Education Support Officer One of the most symbolic and memorable acts of the Apollo 11 crew was to place an American flag on the lunar surface to commemorate their historic voyage. Planting a flag on a new `land' has been a tradition of explorers for generations so it seems fitting that this tradition should have been carried on in a new era of exploration. It may have appeared to be a simple task but it was more complicated than it looked. Flying a flag on the Moon was a politically complicated issue, first NASA officials and congress had to support the intentions of a UN treaty (known as the Outer Space Treaty) that bans the national appropriation of outer space or any celestial bodies. This not only meant that the Americans could not legally claim the Moon but also that they would not try to claim it for themselves. By clarifying their intentions, they were making it clear to the rest of the world that raising a flag was not a territorial or aggressive act that could be taken the wrong way. It was only to be a symbol of the goal of the American nation
Image Credit: NASA

Old Glory The horizontal cross-bar holding up Apollo 11's US flag can be clearly seen in this image. to land and safely return a man on the Moon. The US flag had been used as a common symbol throughout their space program, adorning the space suit of the first American astronaut to walk in space, Edward H. White (Gemini 4) and


July 2009 Astronotes 11 others since. While they made this diplomatic step, it did not extend as far as placing other national or international flags on the Moon. This main reason was that the congress did not feel this was appropriate as the project was solely funded by the American people. This was a careful reminder that America was undertaking this endeavour under its own steam even if it was for all of humanity. To discuss the intricacies of symbolic acts there was a committee appropriately named the Committee on Symbolic Activities for the First Lunar Landing which created by Thomas O. Paine, NASA's acting Administrator at the time.
Image Credit: NASA

"The flag needed a protective shroud to protect it from the LM's rocket exhaust."
This committee investigated the practicalities of symbolic activities so they did not jeopardise crew safety or interfere with mission objectives. Any activity was to regarded as a' historic step forward for all mankind' but not seen to be a territorial act. For this reason, they considered several possibilities including leaving behind a set of miniature flags of all nations. Finally they decided on the erection of the American flag but in addition they would leave behind a plaque bearing the inscription: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." As well as the political aspect there were also the technical aspects to consider. It was not as simple as just placing a flag on a pole and planting it. NASA knew that the lunar surface would be very different from Earth's surface and that installing a flag in the ground might have been unachievable. The flag and its assembly had to be specially designed due to a number of constraints. As there is no atmosphere on the lunar surface any fabric flag would hang limply therefore the details would not be seen. The solution to this was to add a horizontal crossbar to give the flag the illusion of waving in the breeze. Any design would have to consider the space that it required in the lunar module, an

Moonflag Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin stands facing the U.S. flag on the Moon. The rod to hold the flag out horizontally would not extend fully, so the flag ended up with a slight waviness, giving it the appearance of being windblown, a fact that many conspiracy theorists often dwell upon. The flag itself was difficult to erect, it was very hard to penetrate beyond about 6 to 8 inches into the lunar soil with the flagstaff. already potentially claustrophobic space. It also had to be as light as possible. The final design weighed 9lbs 7oz (4.3 kg) and consisted of a telescopic pole apparatus which did not extend as fully as expected giving the flag a rippled effect. Surprisingly, this fault gave the flag the desired effect and it was carried on in other Apollo missions. Designers also had to consider the limited mobility that the astronauts had while in their EVA suits, they could only apply a certain amount of force due to the pressurization of their suits and bend a small distance. The flag also needed to be easily accessible during the EVA so it was mounted on the left side of the ladder on the Lunar Module. For this reason, the flag required a protective shroud as temperatures could reach 2000°F (1090 °C) during the touchdown phase thanks to the LM's rocket exhaust and the flag could only withstand temperatures of 300°F (149°C). This shroud was actually the most expensive part costing several hundred dollars while the flag itself was rumoured to be from Walmart (some sources say Sears, the shop was never identified to prevent it exploiting the fact its flags went to the Moon in advertising) and supposedly have only cost $5. Due to careful planning and preparation Arm-


12 Astronotes July 2009
Image Credit: NASA

strong and Aldrin successfully deployed the flag on the lunar surface during their 2.5 hour moonwalk. They reported that the flag was easy to push into the ground up to a depth of around six inches where they began to meet gradual resistance. While the lack of resistance made it easier for the astronauts with their limited abilities, it resulted in a lack of support around the base of the pole and caused it to tilt slightly. Buzz Aldrin described the placing of the flag as one of the proudest moments in his life.

"We came in peace for all mankind."
Is the flag still proudly flying on the lunar surface? Many people believe that the vacuum of space will preserve the Apollo flags for all eternity, but is this true? The astronauts reported that due to its close proximity to the Lunar Module, the flag blew over as they began their ascent. Many items left on the Moon such as the lunar rovers left by the later missions, are still in perfect order due to the materials that they are made from. The flag was made of nylon, a material that is not quite as durable. The flag would not be subject to the effects of weather or an atmosphere as there is none on the Moon but due to the lack of a protective atmosphere, it would be subject to the harsh solar radiation that is continuously present in space. The flag would probably have been bleached white by

The First Men in the Moon In this image (a still from the cine-camera looking out of one of Eagle's windows) you can see Neil Armstrong on the left and Buzz Aldrin on the right. To ensure that the flag was securely placed in the dusty lunar surface, the astronauts were forced to rotate it backwards and forwards. There was minimal resistance up until a depth of around 6 inches but eventually they could not push it any further down, partly due to their limited mobility in the bulky spacesuits. The soft surface did not provide as much support around the base of the pole so it began to tilt and was eventually blown over on their ascent back to the Command Module. the radiation and the nylon fabric would have become very fragile over time. We cannot know for certain what condition the flag is currently in but as NASA plans to return to the Moon in the decades to come, we may be able to confirm what has really happened to such a potent symbol of the lunar landings.

Apollo and me
Opinion piece by Colin Johnston, Science Communicator to be a pretty indulgent wallow in shameless nostalgia so if that's not your cup of tea then I suggest you skip ahead to the next article. Are you still with me? Great! I am very grateful for NASA's commitment to the Apollo missions, as I doubt I would be here at Armagh Planetarium without them! However straight away I must say that I did not see Neil Armstrong take Future Astronotes articles will discuss what the Apollo Project meant for science and for the world generally but this one is going to be just about what it meant to me at the time. It is going


July 2009 Astronotes 13 his first step or hear him (possibly) blow his line as it happened. I was not even four years old at the time and was completely unaware of history being made 400 000 km over my head. There were other practical difficulties too. Neil and Buzz's moonwalk took place in the small hours of the morning in UK time, so I was certainly snugly asleep as it happened, not only that but I am pretty sure that we did not have a television at the time! sets including a really cool jetpack and a bright yellow `power limbs exoskeleton' (I am certain that film maker James Cameron had one of these too, compare the images at http://www. majormattmason.net/6343.htm with http://avp. ugo.com/?cur=ripley-powerloader). Matt and his identical colleague had many hair-raising adventures on our carpet. Based on early 1960's NASA concepts, the Matt Mason toys seem to have fallen into obscurity today, I have never met anyone else who has even heard of them let alone owned them.

"Has anyone heard of Major Matt Mason?"
I cannot really say when I first noticed the Apollo missions, they were just part of everyday life like tea time or going to school. When TV arrived in our household, I do remember being exposed to the BBC's live coverage of the missions as they intruded into the time normally reserved for children's programmes. When something dramatic was happening during a mission Deputy Dawg or Marine Boy would be shunted aside to be replaced by Patrick Moore and James Burke in a studio, demonstrating the event's manoeuvres with both scale model spacecraft and Moonscapes and live television from outer space. No specific events have stayed with me, but I do recall the tension of awaiting missions' reentries and splashdowns. I also remember the dramatic drum roll and fanfare music which introduced these interludes; only years later did I discover it was part of Richard Strauss' `Thus spake Zarathusra' (someone at the BBC had seen `2001: A Space Odyssey'!).

Apollo in miniature This was the era of spectacular Roy Cross artwork on Airfix packaging. Once assembled this model was my prize possession However, best of all my space toys were the Airfix rockets. In the early 1970s I loved plastic model kits (truth be told I still do). At that time I was too young to be trusted with paint and glue so my Dad spent many evenings painstakingly constructing a whole air force of miniature Second World War fighter `planes for me as I impatiently waited. As special treats, for Christmas or birthdays, I was given the Airfix kits of the Saturn V and its little brother, the Saturn 1B. I well remember Dad carefully masking off and spraying the black markings on these treasures and how big the Saturn V model was. I'm sure it was taller than was! The individual stages separated on the finished models, and I often reenacted complete Apollo missions from blastoff to splashdown on the living room floor. Kids don't seem to know about these sort of models,

"how the Lunar rover was taken to the Moon was part of my childhood"
I liked all the toys boys of that time enjoyed, Lego, Dinky cars, toy cowboys and Indians (apologies, but that is what we called them at then) and Action Man, but also I really liked space-related toys, more so than most of my playmates. One of my favourites was an astronaut action figure called Major Matt Mason, I had two of these and several of their accessory

Image Credit: Art by Roy Cross


14 Astronotes July 2009 never mind make them, these days and I cannot help but think their lives are poorer for it. I cannot honestly say it was solely because of the moonlandings I was interested in space. Television brought other figures who were just as real as the astronauts into my childhood, in the shape of the Tracey family (who flew the Thunderbirds), the Doctor (Jon Pertwee!) and the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701 of course!). Not only could I watch the adventures of these characters in glorious b&w, but I could read about them, or have them read to me, in the comics TV21 and Countdown which carried mainly strips based on TV science fiction programmes. Between the cartoon strips Countdown featured factual articles on space and science subjects, most of these were beyond me but others were read to me by my parents, and later with a little help I read bits of them myself. Although aimed at small boys, I would venture to guess that they went into more depth than many of today's dumbed down science magazines for adults. But that's by the by, I do remember learning about the forthcoming Apollo 15 mission from one of these features, so it is the earliest Apollo mission I was aware of. Apollo 15 was the first mission to carry the Lunar Roving Vehicle, and this `moonbuggy' was given extensive coverage, complete with diagrams showing how it would be deployed from its folded-up stowage on the Lunar Module's descent stage. Today Moon Hoax conspiracy theorists claim that it is impossible to understand how the rover was taken to the Moon, but it was just another part of my childhood.

Countdown Comic As a gimmick this publication's pages were numbered in descending order to "zero". I wish I still had my copies today both for nostalgia and because collectors pay a fortune for them! would be the last Apollo mission to the Moon. I cannot say this news upset me but it did leave me with a strange lingering feeling of loss. The world was changing. Apollo 17 visited the Moon in December 1972, and astronauts Cernan and Schmitt completed the project with an extensive investigation of the Taurus -Littrow region. By then public disinterest in the exploration of another world meant than TV coverage of the mission was greatly reduced. Also Countdown comic had disappeared, amalgamating with the less-science fictional TV Comic which concentrated on strips based on detective shows and sitcoms. However I remember this mission well. The astronauts famously discovered a patch of orange soil among the grey regolith, which caused a minor sensation. I was getting dressed for school when this was reported on the radio news, with speculation that this was an indicator of water on the Moon. I asked my Mum, who obviously knew everything, what did this mean and as she served me my bacon sandwich she told me that possibly "there was living creatures up there". This phrase really touched something in me and for the rest of the day I fantasized

"the astronauts discovered orange soil "
This comic was clearly a major source of information for me, as I remember well the colour images in its coverage published after Apollo 15. Astronauts Scott and Irwin landed near the Apennine Mountains, where they photographed spectacular images of themselves working and driving in the rugged grey landscape. What the comic had to say about Apollo 16 has escaped me, but I do remember reading in its pages in late 1972 that Apollo 17 was forthcoming and

Image Credit: wikimedia.org


July 2009 Astronotes 15
Image Credit: Julie Thompson, Digital Theatre Manager

about strange, vaguely-defined beings with spindly legs wandering mournfully across shadowy moonscapes. That is how I remember man's adventures on the Moon. In the years following, I avidly read children's books on spaceflight and astronomy. Their brightly-coloured illustrations showed me how the future would unfold. The Apollo landings on the Moon were the first step in an imminent and epic story of human exploration and colonization of the Solar System. The initial landings would soon (by 1977?) led to moon bases, huge Earth orbiting space stations supplied by winged, reusable ferry vehicles and eventually missions to Mars and beyond. The idea that the Moon would be a holiday destination for the general public by the year 2000 was a clichИ. I ate up this kind of stuff avidly.

"next time I'll be watching the moonlandings on TV"
Just to show the spirit of the time, NASA's Administrator Thomas Paine (1921-72) wrote an article in 1969, anticipating that on the tenth anniversary of Apollo 11 ( i.e. 20 July 1979), NASA would have 2000 astronauts in space, mostly in Earth orbit, but about two hundred would be on the Moon, and a couple of dozen en route to Mars (in fact cosmonauts Lyakhov and Ryumin,

An old and battered relic of the Space Age and he's standing beside Apollo 11's Command Module displayed in the Smithsonian. on board Salyut 6, were the only two humans in space during July 1979). The general public broadly agreed that this sort of future, redolent of `2001' was possible. It was not to be. Reality intervened, derailing but hopefully only delaying this beautiful dream. Today we have the ISS, magnificent achievement that it is but I double if it inspires young children. No one was visited the Moon since the Apollo 17 crew left in December 1972. Barring any major surprises our satellite will not feel human feet again until the 2020s at the earliest when a Project Constellation's Altair lander will deliver four NASA astronauts to the lunar surface. Next time there is a moonlanding I will be watching it live on TV!

Planetarium News
By Colin Johnston, Science Communicator If you have enjoyed this month's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, you may be interested in the exhibition of Apollo memorabilia we will be presenting from 18 July. Through August the Planetarium will also be playing host to `Galactic Treasures', a collection of replica artefacts and costumes from the epic Star Wars cycle. I'm sorry to report that this will be the last Astronotes with contributions by Alyson Kerr. Alyson is moving on to pastures new. In her time here, her enthusiasm, hard work and sense of humour have been great assets to the Planetarium. Speaking personally, I have found her assistance with preparing Astronotes every month invaluable. We're sorry to lose her but wish her every success in her future career. Best of luck, Alyson!


16 Astronotes July 2009

Image of the Month
Image Credit: NASA

The crew of Apollo 11 have just successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and the control room celebrates. Projected onto a screen in the top left hand corner of the image are the words `Task Accomplished...July 1969'. No more needed to be said. NASA had just successfully accomplished the task that President Kennedy had set forth in his speech in January 1961. An American man had landed on the lunar surface and returned safely. This was certainly a time for rejoicing. So many challenges had faced this

team throughout the years since that infamous speech and they had overcome them all. It is obvious in the faces of those in this room the exhilaration as well as relief at their success. This was not only an achievement for America but for the world as an example of what humanity can achieve. (Caption by Alyson Kerr, Education Support Officer)

www.armaghplanet.com
Astronotes, Incorporating Friends' Newsletter is published monthly by Armagh Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, Co. Armagh BT61 9DB Tel.: 02837 523689 Email: cj@armaghplanet.com Editor: Colin Johnston Assistant Editor: Alyson Kerr ©2009 Armagh Planetarium All rights reserved