Tuesday Hobbies: Special Stars

Astronomy.com has this fun feature where you can see what's hanging above you on our globe. You can find the constellations, galaxy groups, asteroids, etc... You can learn that Venus is particularly bright this month and visible even during lit hours. Saturn and Pluto are also prominently above us at the moment. But you can also find something that I couldn't recall from my college Introduction to Astronomy course (which does not mean my professor didn't discuss it).

The website refers to them as "special stars." From what I'm reading, these stars are similar to our sun in type (these are mostly red dwarfs, sort of mediocre stars). There are three such "special" stars dangling above us on the East Coast of North America today. These stars are probably special because they have potential planet systems like our own star which has inspired life in its case or because they have been of significant note to scientists for one reason or another.

The one star currently in our sky about which I can find the least information is labeled UU Aurigae. I suppose that's reasonable since it's 1810 light-years away. This star is a C-type giant, rich in carbon, which, as most of us know, is a major element in lifeforms here on Earth. However, our Sun is richer in oxygen than carbon. UU Aurigae has most likely been considered "special" because it is a binary star (a star system of two stars which orbit around a common center of mass), a phenomenon still worthy of further research. They are truly fascinating, almost graceful machines...

from www.nckas.org

The scond star hanging over our heads now is known as Lalande 21185. This star is named after Jérôme Lalande who logged its existence sometime before 1801. The star is a red dwarf about 8 light-years away from us (significantly closer that UU Aurigae) located in the Ursa Major constellation. It has featured in science fiction novels (such as Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge), probably due to its accessibility for amateur astronomists. From what I'm reading, it seems that any time there's a claim that planets orbit a star, this Peter van de Kamp person comes up with his "astrometry." Apparently, he has made some mistakes and his measurements are now held in serious doubt... including the existence of planets around Lalande (though George Gatewood re-opened the possibility in 1996) and Barnard's star.

from www.exoplaneten.de

Barnard's star is a low-mass red dwarf only 6 light-years away. It is also named after its discoverer, American astronomer E.E. Barnard. This star is "ancient" as far as star ages go (nearly one trillion years old... according to my personal calulator) but still exhibits active behavior. A stellar flare burst out on July 17, 1998. Little is known about the nature of stellar flares and the event was unexpected for scientists due to the star's age. Peter van de Kamp made claims for planets around this star, too, which have since been highly questioned. However, Barnard's star gained scientific popularity when chosen as the target of the Daedelus Project. In the 1970s, talk began concerning an unmanned mission to find the planets that may orbit Barnard. This would take half a human lifetime to unleash a house of probes on the star itself. The subjet was re-openned in the 80s to find what was then still believed Barnard's potential giant planetary companion. Still no news, from what I can find, on any other plans or observations. Barnard has been the subject of several novels including works by authors Arthur C. Clarke. Will Eisner, Dan Simmons, and even Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy features Barnard as a way station for interstellar tourists.

from www.daviddarling.info

It's just fun to imagine these potential otherworlds hovering above us... other histories that have been had and loved or could be in the distant future. Over the span of millions or billions of years, life has conceiveably either sprung up before or will in the distant future in various parts of the universe... long before and long after us.

Sure... other displays shine overhead today... Orion and the dippers are there and even another star in Lyra that became a popular subject for science fiction... I think I'll watch my favorite movie sometime soon...