AUGUST 2009 The MoonWalk
The SUN
and its KINS
D
iscoveries in recent times have
shown evidences that the Sun,
being one of the stars and the
nearest among them from earth, has evolved
with its siblings which are lost. Meteorites
have shown evidences of a supernova that
exploded near the infant Sun, and the orbits
of icy bodies in the outer solar system
appear to have been shaped by a close
encounter with one of the Sun's siblings.
Clearly, the early solar system had stars
close around it. However, that was 4.5
billion years ago. From then onwards these
stars have gone their separate ways,
blending in among the Milky Way galaxy's
myriad background stars. The existence of a
well organized planetary system, however,
indicates that the parental cluster cannot
have been very dense as otherwise a nearby
passing star would also have perturbed the
orbits of the planets.
To find the lost kins, Simon Portegias
Zwart of the university of Amsterdam in
Netherlands has suggested a route.
According to him, they are not too far. He
found out that the the Sun's birth cluster
mass was approximately 500 to 3000 solar
masses and a diameter smaller than about 20
light years, from evidence preserved in the
dynamics and chemical abundances in the
solar system's outer Kuiper belt, the realm
of small, icy objects out beyond Neptune.
But, about 10 to 60 of the Sun's nestmates
should still remain closer than 300 light
years and be moving in parallel with us.
The search for the kins is done by S.P
Zwart by constructing model star clusters
that mimic the one in which the sun was
born. These star clusters are assumed to
dissolve along the trajectory of the sun in the
Galaxy, shedding their stars in radial orbits
with the escape speed of the cluster. In that
way they are able to calculate the fraction of
the stars from that particular part of the orbit
that today are still in the vicinity of the sun.
The fraction of brothers and sisters of the
sun that are still within 300 light years of our
current location in the Galaxy is about 1% if
the proto-star cluster dissolved shortly after
the formation of the sun, and the fraction
increases to ~ 8% if the cluster survived
longer. The fraction of siblings within a
3000 light years is at least ~10%. The
majority is located around the past and
future orbit of the sun in the Galactic disk
and within about 300 light years of the
Galactic plane. This is a consequence of the
relatively low velocity dispersion of the
02
Editorial
I n that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and
darken the earth in broad daylight-Amos chapter 8:9.
This statement in the bible dates back to 763 BC; years back from the present: The
International Year of Astronomy. And we have come far away from clutches of superstitions,
omens, religions and crusades. All we now have to hold on to is the science. But in the
miraculous show set up for the year science chases celestial celebrities through the corridors
of theories and assumptions.
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower presented a welcoming fireworks in January which was an
above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak; followed by the parade
of Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars in an early morning sky featuring Jupiter and Mars along with
elusive Mercury together in a 5-degree circle.
Then the guests start to arrive…….
March 8, we had Saturn at opposition. The ringed planet was at its closest approach to Earth.
Then the showstopper: Venus, as both a morning and evening star. Venus was visible at both
dusk and dawn on the same day for several days centered on March 25. This rare event
occurs only once every eight years.
Then comes the crowning event. Preceded by a penumbral lunar eclipse on July 7, July 22
brought the much awaited Total solar eclipse with its path of totality beginning in central
India and ending in the Pacific Ocean, this is again to be followed with a Penumbral Lunar
Eclipse.
But there is more to it.
August 10 - September 4 reveals The Saturn without its rings, they being tilted edge-on to the
Earth, making them impossible to see. This rare phenomenon only occurs every 14 to 15
years.
Another fireworks!!
August 12, 13 brings the Perseids Meteor Shower, one of the best meteor showers to observe,
producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak!! This year's peak occurs on the morning of
August 12, but looking northeast just before the moon rises might leave you in simple awe.
But will it be the closure? Certainly not.
As amidst all celebrations, the planets keep walking the ramp. August 14 brings Jupiter at
Opposition August 17 The Neptune and September 17 The Uranus.
There are other numerous conjunctions and events before the epilogue will arrive. But when it
does, it would be marked by the Leonids Meteor Shower, on November 17, 18 producing an
average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every
33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour!! And December 13, 14 would
bring the gala Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in
the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at
their peak. This year, a nearly new moon will provide an excellent viewing experience in the
early morning hours.
The show ends here. But only for the year; because we know again we would have a
revamped platoon marching over the skies and leaving the most intriguing emptiness into the
most beautiful heavens.
Till then...... Stargaze!!!
Regards
Team Spats
cluster compared to the orbital motion around the is along the trajectory of the sun in the plane of the
Galactic center. Galaxy, in leading and trailing orbits around the
Galactic center. Identifying those stars will
Today, we should still be able to recognize the provide stringent limits on the sun's orbit around
siblings along the orbital trajectory of the solar the Galactic center and gives us a unique window
system in the Galaxy. If the sun happens to be on a to study the conditions of the star cluster in which
different orbit this will reflect in the orbits of its the sun was born.
siblings. We are still surrounded by them, even The European Space Agency's upcoming Gaia
though they hide among millions of other astrometric satellite should be able to sort them
ordinary looking stars. What enables us to out by their space motions.
recognize the other siblings are their orbital
characteristics, which should be comparable to Let's hope for the reunion soon.
the sun. The best place to look for the lost siblings