Showing posts with label astronomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astronomy. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
SUPERNOVA FORESHADOWED BY A SONG
The spectacular supernova discovered recently in the constellation Ursa Major appears to have been foreshadowed by a Steven Starjet song of mine titled "Big Dipper." The song goes "Big Dipper's burning down tonight", repeating this key line several times. As you may know, "Big Dipper" is more or less synonymous with Ursa Major.
The song is obviously referring to some spectacular, fiery, destructive natural phenomenon happening there and visible from Earth. That's precisely what this explosive supernova is--the brightest supernova seen in a quarter century. If this supernova happened to ber as close to us as the Sun,it would appear several billions of times of times brighter than our home star.
The song "Big Dipper" is on the cd Love Wheel by Steven Starjet, available at cdbaby website and elsewhere.. "Starjet" is a way of describing the explosive path of matter spurting out from supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and black holes (their accretion disks)--these are the most powerful natural events in the universe.
Here are the song lyrics for the first verse:
After dinner take a walk outside
and look up into the sky
there'll be tears in those pretty green eyes
Big Dipper's burning down tonight
Little Dipper's gonna lose a friend
someone better call the fireman
Big Dipper's burning down tonight.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Celebrity Moon Faces & Multi-Galactic Leaves
Above video as discussed in the preceding and following blog entries.
Celebrity Moon Faces
Enormous strange portrait-like features have been spotted on the surface of the Moon using obscure NASA photographs from the 1960's (Figs. 7-4a-l).
A bearded Jesus, Marilyn Monroe ("Moonroe") wearing a top hat (like in her movie with that name), a stringy inside-out baseball face, a couple pairs of fish, and a caped devil with horns were among the first discovered.
The roster of famous figures seen depicted now includes such notables as Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Willie Nelson, Tom Selleck, Bill Clinton, Saddam Hussein, Adolph Hitler, Charles Chaplin and Babe Ruth. Also on display are the likenesses of Bozo the Clown, the cartoon character Shaggy, a goat boy and Pinocchio.
Furthermore, there are representations of a royal procession (including the British royal guard), a Star of David, an American Indian chief and an Egyptian sphinx. Animal sculptures such the fish, a dalmation, and a deer with antlers are also evident.
Though any of these could have been produced by natural means, it's also possible that they were designed by powerful extraterrestrial intelligent beings, such as the Wormhole Web Weavers, say, as a sort of art class project involving expression, of "native Earth culture” in a geological fashion. Their control over material things and the forces of Nature allows them to create immense and expressive works without
any difficulty or need for crude mechanical devices such as bulldozers and fork-lifts. Their work is virtually indistinguishable from natural forces.
Meet Me on the Moon, Marilyn
Nicknames for the sculptures include: the aforementioned Marilyn Moonroe, Magmoon P.I.(Selleck), and Albert Moonstein (Einstein).
It's possible that some of the moon faces are part of a publicity stunt by time traveling moviemakers who used actors from different periods together--for example Tom Selleck and Marilyn Monroe in a James Bond-style thriller with a title like Double-Platinum Blonde. Some DPB scenes may have been set on the Moon--and even shot there. The rock faces might perform a function somewhat similar to those building-sized billboard advertisements that are common today in places like NYC and LA.
What is truly astonishing is the life-likeness, complexity and richness of the sculptural works. They are in another league from the so-called “face on Mars” (planet #4), which is, by comparison, rather generic and poker-faced--more like a nickel-and-dime-store mask. The faces and figures on the Moon are demonstrable evidence of beings capable of controlling the trajectory and impact of asteroids, meteors and comets, as well as having a profound understanding of human facial dynamics.
These marvelous artworks are site-specific, and so are intended to be seen in their natural setting. Naturally, the appearance of any stationary, sunlit sculpture from a distance will vary depending on the time of (lunar) day--angles and shadows. Nonetheless, as there has been precious little geological or orbital change with the Moon in the few decades since these photos were taken, nor any weathering phenomena such as high winds or rain, they should be repeatable by 21st century lunar orbiters' cameras in the right place at the right time(s).
The above is excerpted from the Steve Kearney book Cosmic Web. It's available on Amazon Kindlle (including Kindle for PC).
Multi-Galactic Foliage: a Field Notebook
Multi-Galactic Foliage: a Field Notebook
Linking the terrestrial to the cosmic: the speckled leaves of the cultivated evergreen shrub Aucuba japonica Variegata (aka Gold Dust Plant) bear an astonishing resemblance to deep-field telescopic images (See Pictures). This includes, notably, the Hubble Space Telescope's Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) photograph. That image used a ten-hour exposure over several weeks to peer far into space and found an abundance of galaxies.
The markings on the Gold Dust Plant's leaves are evocative of stars, star clusters, assorted nebulae, galaxies (spiral, elliptical and irregular), comets, even asteroids. Also, the leaf spines can look like meteor streaks or spiral galaxies viewed edge-on. Some of the leaf images even appear to mimic the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. All these effects can be particularly impressive when the leaves are viewed in black & white, as on a photocopier--where it's also possible to enhance the view with motion (which can boost nebulosity).
Native to a large swath of Asia, the characteristic Aucuba japonica "variegated with yellow spots" was described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in his 1783 botany catalog following extensive journeys in the Orient. Consequently, the horticulturalists who bred this attractive ornamental plant to look that way had to predate deep-field astronomy by centuries.
See my (Steve Kearney) book--Cosmic Web--available on Kindle (including Kindle pc).
See the slide show in the next posting of this blog--Celebrity Moon Faces & Multi-Galactic Leaves for examples of the Aucuba leaves phenomenon.
Linking the terrestrial to the cosmic: the speckled leaves of the cultivated evergreen shrub Aucuba japonica Variegata (aka Gold Dust Plant) bear an astonishing resemblance to deep-field telescopic images (See Pictures). This includes, notably, the Hubble Space Telescope's Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) photograph. That image used a ten-hour exposure over several weeks to peer far into space and found an abundance of galaxies.
The markings on the Gold Dust Plant's leaves are evocative of stars, star clusters, assorted nebulae, galaxies (spiral, elliptical and irregular), comets, even asteroids. Also, the leaf spines can look like meteor streaks or spiral galaxies viewed edge-on. Some of the leaf images even appear to mimic the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. All these effects can be particularly impressive when the leaves are viewed in black & white, as on a photocopier--where it's also possible to enhance the view with motion (which can boost nebulosity).
Native to a large swath of Asia, the characteristic Aucuba japonica "variegated with yellow spots" was described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in his 1783 botany catalog following extensive journeys in the Orient. Consequently, the horticulturalists who bred this attractive ornamental plant to look that way had to predate deep-field astronomy by centuries.
See my (Steve Kearney) book--Cosmic Web--available on Kindle (including Kindle pc).
See the slide show in the next posting of this blog--Celebrity Moon Faces & Multi-Galactic Leaves for examples of the Aucuba leaves phenomenon.
Monday, March 15, 2010
First Contact Opportunity: Zavijava Could Be the One
A perceptive amateur astronomer could play a key role in first extraterrestrial contact. Numerous successful asteroid/comet hunters and nova finders can attest that a lot can be said for looking in the right place at the right time. This time, it could be you.
There is a chance that some ETI or other would try to contact us from light-years away. A smart ETI may rightly suppose our resources for listening are limited, and so toss us an easy pitch to hit--timing-wise. The hours of transit are the most logical landmark event in space-time for them to use as they represent a predictable, recurring phenomenon. They'd simply need to have a good fix on our distance from them and orbital period in order to time their signal so that it reaches here at the transit event.
To make the most of these situations, we could program an antenna to pretty much follow the "anti-Sun" around the ecliptic--flitting from star-to-star like a hummingbird in a flower garden.
It would make sense to focus on nearby promising stars, such as Zavijava in Virgo (aka beta-Virginis). This ecliptic star, ranked #12 on the Terrestrial Planet Finder list, is very much like the Sun (type F8 to Sun's G2; similar estimated age). Zavijava is the nearest single,stable, Sun-like star located on the ecliptic. Transits of planets can only be observed from points along the ecliptic. Earth transits for Zavijava right around March 21-22, annually. Hope springs eternal.
So, potentially scheduled to arrive here March 21/22, any year: a contacting signal sent our way from a planet (or moon) orbiting the 3.61-magnitude star Zavijava in the constellation Virgo, timed so that that it would reach Earth just as we're transiting in front of the Sun from their viewing angle.
While it is hoped that radio astronomers will be listening in, it is possible that such a signal would come optically as a nova-like laser pulse/flash--noticeable to the naked eye. Anybody could be the first contactee.
*It's quite possible that planetary/solar/stellar alignments--such as transits and conjunctions--are a standard timing mechanism for ETI contact signaling.
*Alignments are objective, significant, measurable, predictable, recurring phenomena. Objective in the sense that you can figure out what another party is seeing if you have sufficient measurement and observational skill to put up a comprehensive model of the sky from otherworldly viewpoints.
*Such astronomical research luminaries as Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute, Ray Villard of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Richard Conn Henry of Johns Hopkins, Steve Kilston of the Henry Foundation, and NASA astrophysicist Robin H. Corbet at Goddard Space Flight Center have advocated using transits for contact purposes.
"But why the star Zavijava?" you ask. "What makes it so special?"
Short Answer
A thorough study of relevant star charts and tables has led to the realization that Zavijava is the only single, stable, Sun-like star within 40 light years of us that is located on our ecliptic belt (aka the zodiac). The importance of the ecliptic is that it provides one with a privileged point-of-view for planetary transits and conjunctions.
Long Answer
Zavijava (aka beta-Virginis) is the star that best meets these seven criteria for high "contactability":
1) Single (it's not in a multiple star system);
2) Sun-like (it's a spectral type F9, which is very similar to the Sun's G2);
3) Stable (it's not a variable or flare star) for a good while--at least, say, 2 billion years;
4) High metal content (which is conducive to forming rocky planets: Zavijava's metallicity is a bit greater than the Sun's;
5) Old enough (to have given rise to an intelligent civilization. Zavijava age is estimated between 2.8 and 4.7 billion years--a decent chance to have been an ample amount of time)
6) Nearby (Zavijava lies a mere 35.6 light years away. To understand how near that is, if you imagine our galaxy being the size of the United States, then Zavijava's would be just 1 1/2 miles from us);
7) Being located on our ecliptic belt gives Zavijavanetis a privileged line-of-sight. The transit and conjunction phenomenon are perfectly logical timing tools--no hocus-pocus. All that's necessary is that the two parties be willing and able to put themselves in each others' shoes. That's something that many ordinary human adults do several times a day without too much difficulty. So there is no need to invoke futuristic technology like ESP, mind-reading, telepathy, time travel, quantum entanglement, or astrology for this scenario to work.
"But why now?" you may ask.
Zavijava's distance from Earth--35.6 LY--makes our present era a special one because the round-trip time for a signal--71.2 years is roughly equal to the amount of time that has passed since our first substantial TV broadcasts--in the 1930's.
So anyone there with a really good receiver might have begun watching our early TV programming--like the 1936 Berlin Olympics--around 1972, taken it in for a couple of years, and sent a review that we could be receiving right about now.. Eat your heart out, Jodie Foster. The scenario in the movie 'Contact' may truly be applicable to us, only the relevant star is Zavijava, not Vega (too young to have produced an intelligent civilization).
Default Contact Star: Rosetta Star
Skeptics might argue that the odds against an intelligent civilization having arisen in any particular star system could be astronomically high. However it may be worthwhile to consider the possibility that a sophisticated, mobile ETI would have a base on Zavijava from which they could transmit to Earth.
In the event that our section of the galaxy is already substantially settled, Zavijava may function as a sort of default mechanism for contact with Earth. That is to say, ETIs in some kind of federation would likely have an outreach committee responsible for drawing in any nascent civilizations. They would already be well aware of life on Earth and the emergence of human civilization, and could come here if they wanted.
But rules of protocol might favor signal transmissions from a moderate distance. Realizing the special status of Zavijava with respect to Earth--being a nearby sister of the Sun located in our ecliptic--they might set up a broadcasting station from that system, even if there is no native civilization in it, reasoning that we would likely be listening and looking for signals emanating from there.
Lightning in a Bottle
A galactic federation might be sure to contact an emerging civilization like Earth's before we go off colonizing other star systems because then we're potentially invading their realm. So their message to us may be part greeting, part warning.
Whatever the message, the first signal, if laser optical, will likely be meant to get our attention. You would just need to be looking for a bright flash at the right place and time in the night sky. Message details would follow in a suitable way via radio waves and can be processed by SETI professionals.
Culturally, Zavijava, or Al Zawiah, means angle or corner of the kennel of the barking dogs in Arabic. In its Greco-Roman mythological role of beta-Virginis, the star is positioned as the left shoulder of the maiden facing us.
Between Two Superstars
Of course, knowing where to look in the sky for Zavijava would be helpful, as it's not particularly bright (magnitude 3.61). Anyone in northern temperate latitudes who has spent time during the Spring or Summer looking southward in the night sky must be familiar with the brilliant blue star Spica (alpha-Virginis, magnitude 0.98 in the constellation Virgo). Moving westward, the next really bright star over is regal Regulus (alpha-Leonis, magnitude 1.36--in the adjacent constellation of Leo). Zavijava is the star of modest brightness most exactly midway between Spica and Regulus.
Sky Party
Being on the ecliptic makes Zavijava a sort of landmark for the planets as they go passing through. And it's also a golden opportunity to catch lightning in a bottle should Zavijavanetis be sending us a laser pulse just then. It would be quite a story if some amateur astronomers out photographing a nice conjunction look at the images they've taken and detect an anomalous brightness in one of the pictures--right where the star Zavijava should be barely visible.
The next big thing in this part of the sky, relevant to Zavijava, will probably be in October 2015. Venus Mars and Jupiter will form a tight 3-in-a-row (a la Orion's belt) points almost directly at Zavijava on October 22 and 28. The three also form a tight near-perfect isosceles triangle pointing directly at Zavijava along one of the long axes on Oct 15.
History Lessons
Zavijava already has been utilized by astronomers on at least one such occasion. In 1922, Arthur Eddington journeyed to Wallal, Australia and photographed Zavijava in conjunction with a total solar eclipse on September 21 in order to measure the angle of starlight deflection caused by the Sun's gravity. The results of this, and a few similar excursions, helped confirm Einstein's general theory of relativity--supplanting Newtonian mechanics. Some might wonder whether Eddington and his crew might have unwittingly received a message from Zavijavaland.
All nearby Sun-like stars, including Zavijava, have previously been surveyed for transmissions by SETI projects such as Phoenix, SERENDIP, Big Ear, META and BETA. However, there is no indication that timing was in any way a consideration. Project META recorded 37 anomalous transmissions that failed to recur upon follow-up--usually several days, weeks, or even months later. The randomness of such would have missed a transit-timing sender's likely repeat bursts over a one-to-two-day window or precisely a year later. Only BETA has had a mechanism for promptly double-checking promising signals. None have focused attention on the ecliptic belt or on longitudinal lines extended at transit/opposition time. For Zavijava, that time is right around March 21-22, annually.
Big Sister
Close examination of Zavijava reveals that, in comparison with the Sun, she is 25% more massive, 70% wider, 3.5x more luminous (with an absolute magnitude of 3.40), and 40% more metal-rich. You might say Zavijava is a bit more like the Sun's big sister than her twin or clone.
As a result of living large, Zavijava the star is not long for this world. Though stable for most of her life, Zavijava has already started to balloon up--the beginning of its dying throes. Any advanced planetary civilization there likely would have already done the equivalent of an Earth-to-Mars migration.
Naturally, they would also be looking for a longer term home--some place like Earth, perhaps. Having watched a few years' worth of our early TV programming, they may well figure that here is a nearby planet well-suited for life and presently being overrun by buffoons.
Some might misconstrue the absence of a signal from Zavijava as indicative of an impending sneak attack by them. With the little we know, cannot rule out the possibility of a huge flotilla of Zavijavanetis arriving anytime.
However, our Sun may have only 500 million to 1 billion years left before it starts acting up. So, we have reason to hope that outward-bound Zavijavanetis would take the high road and relocate to one or more of the many nearby red dwarf systems--terraforming planets there--instead of trying to take us over. Red dwarfs typically live 100 billion years.
So it's plausible that a Zavijavaneti society might not bother contacting us as their plate could be pretty full and there isn't much that we can do to help them out. On the other hand, they may have already moved elsewhere but left a monitoring/communications contingent there. It really wouldn't be much trouble, or take much equipment, to do stuff like signal us at least once every (Earth) year--say, at transit-time March 21-22. Hope does spring eternal.
TABLE
STAR LIST
Nearby single, Sun-like stars along the ecliptic (that might host habitable planets or moons of planets):
*Zavijava (aka beta-Virginis): RA 11.50.41.7, DEC +1.45.52.9 (ecliptic dec. is at approx. +2 at that RA), type F8 or F9, 35.6 LY away, magnitude 3.61, will be occulted by Venus in 2069, #12 TPF target.
*HD 172051 (aka HR 6998) (in Sagittarius): RA 18.38.53.49, DEC -21.03.06.7 (ecliptic dec. is at approx -23 at that RA), type G5, 42 LY away, magnitude 5.86, #98 TPF target.
*111 Tauri: RA 5.24, DEC +17.23, (ecliptic dec. is approx +20 at that RA), type F8, 48 LY away, magnitude 5.0, #40 TPF.
Nearby single, Sun-like stars fairly near ecliptic (that might host long-term habitable planets or moons of planets) :
*HD 192310 (aka HR 7722) (in Capricorn): RA 20.15, DEC -27.01 (ecliptic dec. is approx. -20 at that RA), type K0, 29 LY away, magnitude 5.73, #72 TPF.
*Iota Piscium: RA 23.39, DEC +5.37, (ecliptic dec. is approx. -2 at that RA), type F7, 45 LY away, magnitude 4.13, #23 TPF.
*Psi Capricornus: RA 20.46, DEC -25.16, (ecliptic dec. is appprox. -18 at that RA), type F5, 48 LY away, magnitude 4.13, #29 TPF.
*HR 7898 (in Capricorn): RA 20.40, DEC -23.46 (ecliptic dec. is approx.18 at that RA), type G8, 48 LY away, magnitude 6.36.
*Chi Cancri: RA 8.20, DEC +27.13, (ecliptic dec. is approx. +20 at that RA), type F6, 59 LY away, magnitude 5.13, #59 TPF.
Known nearby single stars along the ecliptic that are not like the Sun (but could conceivably host habitable planets or moons of planets--excludes flare stars)
*Teegarden's star: RA 2.53.00.85, DEC +16.52.53.3 (ecliptic dec. is approx. +16.3 at that RA), type M7 in Aries, 12 LY away, magnitude 15.
*Von Maanen's star (in Pisces): RA 00.49.09.8892, DEC +5.23.19.007 (ecliptic dec. is approx. +6 at that RA), warm white dwarf (6750 K), 14 LY away, magnitude 12.3.
Nearby single star fairly near the ecliptic and not like the Sun (but still considered possibly conducive to life):
*Gliese 876 (in Aquarius): RA 22.53, DEC -14.15, (ecliptic dec. is approx. -7 at that RA), type M4, 15 LY away, magnitude 10.17.
Within each group, stars are listed from near to far. Magnitudes are apparent. Variable stars are excluded.
Abbreviations: RA=right ascension; DEC=declination; approx.=approximately; TPF=Terrestrial Planet Finder mission.
ABBREVIATIONS
BETA=billion-channel extraterrestrial assay
DEC= declination
ETI=extraterrestrial intelligence
LY=light year
META=mega-channel extraterrestrial assay
NASA=national aeronautics and space administration
RA=right ascension
SETI=search for extraterrestrial intelligence
TPF=terrestrial planet finder
SOURCES
Corbet, Robin H.D., Synchronized SETI--The Case for "Opposition"; Astrobiology magazine, Mary Ann Liebert Inc., July 5, 2004.
Doyle, L.R., Deeg, H.J. and Jenkins, J.M., Discovering Worlds in Transit; Astronomy mag., 2001.
Kaler, Jim, Zavijava; on Stars website (accessed 2009).
Neave, Paul, planetarium website, 1999-2009.
Powell, Richard, Atlas of the Universe (website): Stars Within 50 Light Years, last updated July 30, 2006.
Red dwarf stars within 10 parsecs; Sol Company (website) 2005.
Scheffer, Lou, Aliens Can Watch 'I Love Lucy'; Contact in Context v2i1/lucy.pdf (website), accessed 2009.
Shostak, Seth, Cheap Communication Schemes for ETI; SETI Institute (online), April 1, 2004.
Shostak, Seth, Good Timing; SETI Insitute (seti.org), June 12, 2008.
Shostak, Seth, Making the Search Simple; SETI Institute (online), December 14, 2006.
Skindrud, Erik, The Big Question; Science News Online, September 7, 1996.
Sol Station.com, Zavijava (beta-Virginis) (website, accessed 2009).
Team Hopes to Use New Technology to Search for ET's (SETI Institute website), June 2, 2008.
Terrestrial Planet Finder article in State Master Encyclopedia (online),accessed 2009.
Wikipedia, List of Extrasolar Planets, (online encyclopedia) updated November 7, 2009.
Wikipedia, Occultation, accessed Nov. 2009.
Wikipedia, Zavijava, accessed October 2009.
Excerpt from Cosmic Web by Steve Kearney.
There is a chance that some ETI or other would try to contact us from light-years away. A smart ETI may rightly suppose our resources for listening are limited, and so toss us an easy pitch to hit--timing-wise. The hours of transit are the most logical landmark event in space-time for them to use as they represent a predictable, recurring phenomenon. They'd simply need to have a good fix on our distance from them and orbital period in order to time their signal so that it reaches here at the transit event.
To make the most of these situations, we could program an antenna to pretty much follow the "anti-Sun" around the ecliptic--flitting from star-to-star like a hummingbird in a flower garden.
It would make sense to focus on nearby promising stars, such as Zavijava in Virgo (aka beta-Virginis). This ecliptic star, ranked #12 on the Terrestrial Planet Finder list, is very much like the Sun (type F8 to Sun's G2; similar estimated age). Zavijava is the nearest single,stable, Sun-like star located on the ecliptic. Transits of planets can only be observed from points along the ecliptic. Earth transits for Zavijava right around March 21-22, annually. Hope springs eternal.
So, potentially scheduled to arrive here March 21/22, any year: a contacting signal sent our way from a planet (or moon) orbiting the 3.61-magnitude star Zavijava in the constellation Virgo, timed so that that it would reach Earth just as we're transiting in front of the Sun from their viewing angle.
While it is hoped that radio astronomers will be listening in, it is possible that such a signal would come optically as a nova-like laser pulse/flash--noticeable to the naked eye. Anybody could be the first contactee.
*It's quite possible that planetary/solar/stellar alignments--such as transits and conjunctions--are a standard timing mechanism for ETI contact signaling.
*Alignments are objective, significant, measurable, predictable, recurring phenomena. Objective in the sense that you can figure out what another party is seeing if you have sufficient measurement and observational skill to put up a comprehensive model of the sky from otherworldly viewpoints.
*Such astronomical research luminaries as Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute, Ray Villard of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Richard Conn Henry of Johns Hopkins, Steve Kilston of the Henry Foundation, and NASA astrophysicist Robin H. Corbet at Goddard Space Flight Center have advocated using transits for contact purposes.
"But why the star Zavijava?" you ask. "What makes it so special?"
Short Answer
A thorough study of relevant star charts and tables has led to the realization that Zavijava is the only single, stable, Sun-like star within 40 light years of us that is located on our ecliptic belt (aka the zodiac). The importance of the ecliptic is that it provides one with a privileged point-of-view for planetary transits and conjunctions.
Long Answer
Zavijava (aka beta-Virginis) is the star that best meets these seven criteria for high "contactability":
1) Single (it's not in a multiple star system);
2) Sun-like (it's a spectral type F9, which is very similar to the Sun's G2);
3) Stable (it's not a variable or flare star) for a good while--at least, say, 2 billion years;
4) High metal content (which is conducive to forming rocky planets: Zavijava's metallicity is a bit greater than the Sun's;
5) Old enough (to have given rise to an intelligent civilization. Zavijava age is estimated between 2.8 and 4.7 billion years--a decent chance to have been an ample amount of time)
6) Nearby (Zavijava lies a mere 35.6 light years away. To understand how near that is, if you imagine our galaxy being the size of the United States, then Zavijava's would be just 1 1/2 miles from us);
7) Being located on our ecliptic belt gives Zavijavanetis a privileged line-of-sight. The transit and conjunction phenomenon are perfectly logical timing tools--no hocus-pocus. All that's necessary is that the two parties be willing and able to put themselves in each others' shoes. That's something that many ordinary human adults do several times a day without too much difficulty. So there is no need to invoke futuristic technology like ESP, mind-reading, telepathy, time travel, quantum entanglement, or astrology for this scenario to work.
"But why now?" you may ask.
Zavijava's distance from Earth--35.6 LY--makes our present era a special one because the round-trip time for a signal--71.2 years is roughly equal to the amount of time that has passed since our first substantial TV broadcasts--in the 1930's.
So anyone there with a really good receiver might have begun watching our early TV programming--like the 1936 Berlin Olympics--around 1972, taken it in for a couple of years, and sent a review that we could be receiving right about now.. Eat your heart out, Jodie Foster. The scenario in the movie 'Contact' may truly be applicable to us, only the relevant star is Zavijava, not Vega (too young to have produced an intelligent civilization).
Default Contact Star: Rosetta Star
Skeptics might argue that the odds against an intelligent civilization having arisen in any particular star system could be astronomically high. However it may be worthwhile to consider the possibility that a sophisticated, mobile ETI would have a base on Zavijava from which they could transmit to Earth.
In the event that our section of the galaxy is already substantially settled, Zavijava may function as a sort of default mechanism for contact with Earth. That is to say, ETIs in some kind of federation would likely have an outreach committee responsible for drawing in any nascent civilizations. They would already be well aware of life on Earth and the emergence of human civilization, and could come here if they wanted.
But rules of protocol might favor signal transmissions from a moderate distance. Realizing the special status of Zavijava with respect to Earth--being a nearby sister of the Sun located in our ecliptic--they might set up a broadcasting station from that system, even if there is no native civilization in it, reasoning that we would likely be listening and looking for signals emanating from there.
Lightning in a Bottle
A galactic federation might be sure to contact an emerging civilization like Earth's before we go off colonizing other star systems because then we're potentially invading their realm. So their message to us may be part greeting, part warning.
Whatever the message, the first signal, if laser optical, will likely be meant to get our attention. You would just need to be looking for a bright flash at the right place and time in the night sky. Message details would follow in a suitable way via radio waves and can be processed by SETI professionals.
Culturally, Zavijava, or Al Zawiah, means angle or corner of the kennel of the barking dogs in Arabic. In its Greco-Roman mythological role of beta-Virginis, the star is positioned as the left shoulder of the maiden facing us.
Between Two Superstars
Of course, knowing where to look in the sky for Zavijava would be helpful, as it's not particularly bright (magnitude 3.61). Anyone in northern temperate latitudes who has spent time during the Spring or Summer looking southward in the night sky must be familiar with the brilliant blue star Spica (alpha-Virginis, magnitude 0.98 in the constellation Virgo). Moving westward, the next really bright star over is regal Regulus (alpha-Leonis, magnitude 1.36--in the adjacent constellation of Leo). Zavijava is the star of modest brightness most exactly midway between Spica and Regulus.
Sky Party
Being on the ecliptic makes Zavijava a sort of landmark for the planets as they go passing through. And it's also a golden opportunity to catch lightning in a bottle should Zavijavanetis be sending us a laser pulse just then. It would be quite a story if some amateur astronomers out photographing a nice conjunction look at the images they've taken and detect an anomalous brightness in one of the pictures--right where the star Zavijava should be barely visible.
The next big thing in this part of the sky, relevant to Zavijava, will probably be in October 2015. Venus Mars and Jupiter will form a tight 3-in-a-row (a la Orion's belt) points almost directly at Zavijava on October 22 and 28. The three also form a tight near-perfect isosceles triangle pointing directly at Zavijava along one of the long axes on Oct 15.
History Lessons
Zavijava already has been utilized by astronomers on at least one such occasion. In 1922, Arthur Eddington journeyed to Wallal, Australia and photographed Zavijava in conjunction with a total solar eclipse on September 21 in order to measure the angle of starlight deflection caused by the Sun's gravity. The results of this, and a few similar excursions, helped confirm Einstein's general theory of relativity--supplanting Newtonian mechanics. Some might wonder whether Eddington and his crew might have unwittingly received a message from Zavijavaland.
All nearby Sun-like stars, including Zavijava, have previously been surveyed for transmissions by SETI projects such as Phoenix, SERENDIP, Big Ear, META and BETA. However, there is no indication that timing was in any way a consideration. Project META recorded 37 anomalous transmissions that failed to recur upon follow-up--usually several days, weeks, or even months later. The randomness of such would have missed a transit-timing sender's likely repeat bursts over a one-to-two-day window or precisely a year later. Only BETA has had a mechanism for promptly double-checking promising signals. None have focused attention on the ecliptic belt or on longitudinal lines extended at transit/opposition time. For Zavijava, that time is right around March 21-22, annually.
Big Sister
Close examination of Zavijava reveals that, in comparison with the Sun, she is 25% more massive, 70% wider, 3.5x more luminous (with an absolute magnitude of 3.40), and 40% more metal-rich. You might say Zavijava is a bit more like the Sun's big sister than her twin or clone.
As a result of living large, Zavijava the star is not long for this world. Though stable for most of her life, Zavijava has already started to balloon up--the beginning of its dying throes. Any advanced planetary civilization there likely would have already done the equivalent of an Earth-to-Mars migration.
Naturally, they would also be looking for a longer term home--some place like Earth, perhaps. Having watched a few years' worth of our early TV programming, they may well figure that here is a nearby planet well-suited for life and presently being overrun by buffoons.
Some might misconstrue the absence of a signal from Zavijava as indicative of an impending sneak attack by them. With the little we know, cannot rule out the possibility of a huge flotilla of Zavijavanetis arriving anytime.
However, our Sun may have only 500 million to 1 billion years left before it starts acting up. So, we have reason to hope that outward-bound Zavijavanetis would take the high road and relocate to one or more of the many nearby red dwarf systems--terraforming planets there--instead of trying to take us over. Red dwarfs typically live 100 billion years.
So it's plausible that a Zavijavaneti society might not bother contacting us as their plate could be pretty full and there isn't much that we can do to help them out. On the other hand, they may have already moved elsewhere but left a monitoring/communications contingent there. It really wouldn't be much trouble, or take much equipment, to do stuff like signal us at least once every (Earth) year--say, at transit-time March 21-22. Hope does spring eternal.
TABLE
STAR LIST
Nearby single, Sun-like stars along the ecliptic (that might host habitable planets or moons of planets):
*Zavijava (aka beta-Virginis): RA 11.50.41.7, DEC +1.45.52.9 (ecliptic dec. is at approx. +2 at that RA), type F8 or F9, 35.6 LY away, magnitude 3.61, will be occulted by Venus in 2069, #12 TPF target.
*HD 172051 (aka HR 6998) (in Sagittarius): RA 18.38.53.49, DEC -21.03.06.7 (ecliptic dec. is at approx -23 at that RA), type G5, 42 LY away, magnitude 5.86, #98 TPF target.
*111 Tauri: RA 5.24, DEC +17.23, (ecliptic dec. is approx +20 at that RA), type F8, 48 LY away, magnitude 5.0, #40 TPF.
Nearby single, Sun-like stars fairly near ecliptic (that might host long-term habitable planets or moons of planets) :
*HD 192310 (aka HR 7722) (in Capricorn): RA 20.15, DEC -27.01 (ecliptic dec. is approx. -20 at that RA), type K0, 29 LY away, magnitude 5.73, #72 TPF.
*Iota Piscium: RA 23.39, DEC +5.37, (ecliptic dec. is approx. -2 at that RA), type F7, 45 LY away, magnitude 4.13, #23 TPF.
*Psi Capricornus: RA 20.46, DEC -25.16, (ecliptic dec. is appprox. -18 at that RA), type F5, 48 LY away, magnitude 4.13, #29 TPF.
*HR 7898 (in Capricorn): RA 20.40, DEC -23.46 (ecliptic dec. is approx.18 at that RA), type G8, 48 LY away, magnitude 6.36.
*Chi Cancri: RA 8.20, DEC +27.13, (ecliptic dec. is approx. +20 at that RA), type F6, 59 LY away, magnitude 5.13, #59 TPF.
Known nearby single stars along the ecliptic that are not like the Sun (but could conceivably host habitable planets or moons of planets--excludes flare stars)
*Teegarden's star: RA 2.53.00.85, DEC +16.52.53.3 (ecliptic dec. is approx. +16.3 at that RA), type M7 in Aries, 12 LY away, magnitude 15.
*Von Maanen's star (in Pisces): RA 00.49.09.8892, DEC +5.23.19.007 (ecliptic dec. is approx. +6 at that RA), warm white dwarf (6750 K), 14 LY away, magnitude 12.3.
Nearby single star fairly near the ecliptic and not like the Sun (but still considered possibly conducive to life):
*Gliese 876 (in Aquarius): RA 22.53, DEC -14.15, (ecliptic dec. is approx. -7 at that RA), type M4, 15 LY away, magnitude 10.17.
Within each group, stars are listed from near to far. Magnitudes are apparent. Variable stars are excluded.
Abbreviations: RA=right ascension; DEC=declination; approx.=approximately; TPF=Terrestrial Planet Finder mission.
ABBREVIATIONS
BETA=billion-channel extraterrestrial assay
DEC= declination
ETI=extraterrestrial intelligence
LY=light year
META=mega-channel extraterrestrial assay
NASA=national aeronautics and space administration
RA=right ascension
SETI=search for extraterrestrial intelligence
TPF=terrestrial planet finder
SOURCES
Corbet, Robin H.D., Synchronized SETI--The Case for "Opposition"; Astrobiology magazine, Mary Ann Liebert Inc., July 5, 2004.
Doyle, L.R., Deeg, H.J. and Jenkins, J.M., Discovering Worlds in Transit; Astronomy mag., 2001.
Kaler, Jim, Zavijava; on Stars website (accessed 2009).
Neave, Paul, planetarium website, 1999-2009.
Powell, Richard, Atlas of the Universe (website): Stars Within 50 Light Years, last updated July 30, 2006.
Red dwarf stars within 10 parsecs; Sol Company (website) 2005.
Scheffer, Lou, Aliens Can Watch 'I Love Lucy'; Contact in Context v2i1/lucy.pdf (website), accessed 2009.
Shostak, Seth, Cheap Communication Schemes for ETI; SETI Institute (online), April 1, 2004.
Shostak, Seth, Good Timing; SETI Insitute (seti.org), June 12, 2008.
Shostak, Seth, Making the Search Simple; SETI Institute (online), December 14, 2006.
Skindrud, Erik, The Big Question; Science News Online, September 7, 1996.
Sol Station.com, Zavijava (beta-Virginis) (website, accessed 2009).
Team Hopes to Use New Technology to Search for ET's (SETI Institute website), June 2, 2008.
Terrestrial Planet Finder article in State Master Encyclopedia (online),accessed 2009.
Wikipedia, List of Extrasolar Planets, (online encyclopedia) updated November 7, 2009.
Wikipedia, Occultation, accessed Nov. 2009.
Wikipedia, Zavijava, accessed October 2009.
Excerpt from Cosmic Web by Steve Kearney.
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