ALERT NEWSLETTER – August 2023

Hi everyone,

I hope this finds you safe and well as we bake and broil in this miserable heat. The good news is that in just a little over a month the heat and humidity will begin it’s retreat towards the tropical realms from whence it came and in about 6 months we will be griping and wishing we could borrow one of these days for a welcomed winter thaw.

Until then hug an air conditioner, remember to stay hydrated and don’t cook the doggy by walking him in this giant toaster oven that we find ourselves in.

Our next ALERT meeting will be on August 8, at the NWS Forecast Office in Calera, (which has good air conditioning).

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

How Low Can You Go?

I have always loved radio and radio technology. One could say, with apologies to the streaming service, that “I heart radio”. My fond heartedness stretches almost as long as my interest in astronomy, which began at age 5, as I looked through my older sister’s science book and marveled at the pictures it contained.

Now and then I have heard, when speaking of radio receivers, of wishing that one had a radio reaching from “DC to Daylight.” And, while such a mythological beast does not yet exist, we edge closer and closer to it with each decade.

Current radio technology allows access from 3 Hz to 10 – 30 THz. At that 30 THz point there is a gap called the “Terahertz Gap” for which the practical technologies for generating and detecting the radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum from that point to the infrared light spectrum does not yet exist.

This realm is also considered the far infrared light spectrum, which stretches from roughly 300 GHz to 30 THz.

Above this is the mid infrared, from 30 GHz to 120 THZ and near infrared region from 120 THz to 400 THZ. Then we reach visible light, with red 400 to 480 THz, orange 480 to 510 THz, yellow 510 – 530 THz, green 530 – 600 THz, cyan 600 – 620 THz, blue 620 – 670 THz and violet 670 – 790 THz. Then comes ultraviolet, then x-ray and finally gamma ray radiation.

The main limiting factor that causes the Terahertz gap is, except for some experimental devices, the Earth’s atmosphere.

As the radio frequency increases above 30 GHz, the Earth’s atmospheric gases absorb increasing amounts of RF power, and the power of all radio waves decreases exponentially with distance from the transmitting antenna.

At 30 GHz, useful communication is limited to about around .6 miles or 1 km, and decreases as the frequency increases so that when you reach the realm 300 GHz, the radio waves are attenuated to zero within a few yards, so the atmosphere is essentially opaque to radio signals.

In the vacuum of space, this would not be a problem and perhaps some day these frequencies will be used by space explorers and outposts.

Meanwhile here on Earth, as technology progresses, the Terahertz Gap, is closing, and some day it will be overcome, just as the 200 meter radio frequency limit was.

100 years ago, the frequencies above 200 meters or 1.5 MHz or 1500 kHz we’re considered “useless” and hams were consigned to them to cure their propensity for interfering with marine and broadcast stations.

Then hams discovered that worldwide communications we’re possible on these useless higher frequencies and short wave radio was born.

But, that’s how high can you go and the question was how low you can really go on the radio dial?

Low frequency oscillations related to the Earth’s magnetosphere occur below 3 Hz, in the Ultra Low Frequency range or ULF.

Extreme Low Frequency range or ELF stretches from 3 to 30 Hz.

ELF signals can penetrate seawater and the attenuation of ELF waves is so low that they can travel completely around the Earth several times before significantly decaying, and waves radiated from a source in opposite directions circumnavigating the Earth on a great circle path will interfere with each other.

The lowest frequencies currently in use are in the SLF or Super Low Frequency realm from 30 HZ to 300 Hz and are used to signal submerged submarines.

At these low frequencies (which are commonly, if mistakenly referred to as ELF) the signal bandwidth is so very small that voice communications are not possible and only short, coded text messages at a very low data rate are possible. These messages are used to instruct submarines to rise to the surface to receive longer operational orders by ordinary radio or satellite communication.

The US Navy operated a system called Project ELF from 1989 to 2004 using two linked transmitters at Clam Lake Wisconsin & Republic Michigan.

The Clam Lake facility had two 14 mile transmission line antennas, called ground dipoles, in the shape of a cross, with the transmitting station at their intersection.

The Republic facility consisted of three transmission line antennas, two of which were 14 miles long and one 28 miles long in the shape of the letter “F”. The shape was not significant, but was dictated by land availability.

The system transmitted at 76 Hz, 16 Hz above the North American power line frequency, with an alternate capability at 45 Hz and used a combined power of 2.6 megawatts.

The system transmitted continuously, 24 hours a day, sending an “idle” message when it was not being used, so that submarines could verify they were within communication range.

The system was controversial, especially with environmentalists and protesters, who cut down the transmission line poles five times, briefly interrupting operations.

In 2004 the Navy shut down both transmitters, explaining that the Very Low Frequency, VLF, communication systems had improved to the point that the ELF system was unnecessary.

The lowest known confirmed manmade signal to be received is an experimental Russian signal for “geophysical applications” transmitted at 12 kHz on the Kola Peninsula southeast of Murmansk.

The Russian Navy currently uses a transmitter at 82 Hz called ZEUS to communicate with its submarines. The transmitter is 19 miles southeast of Murmansk on the Kola peninsula in northern Russia, and produces an estimated radiated power between 10 & 14 megawatts, which if accurate would make it the most powerful transmitter in Europe.

The Indian Navy operates an ELF transmitter at the INS Kattabomman Naval Base in Tamil Nadu to communicate with its Arihant & Akula Class submarines.

China recently built an ELF transmitter complex with an antenna said to be five times the size of New York City. It is thought to be in the Dabie Mountains, a protected reserve that spans the Hubei, Anhui and Henan Provinces, 620 miles south of Beijing. It’s antenna is in the shape of a cross 62 miles long and wide.

The frequency of the Indian and Chines transmitters is बेअत्स मे and 我不知道.

The lowest frequency stations I ever received were the now defunct US Omega navigation beacons on 10.2, 11.33 and 13.6 kHz and the still operational Russian Alpha beacons on 11.90 12.64 and 12.88 kHz.

The equipment I used was a Radio Shack DX-300 receiver (one of the few receivers that reach below 100 kHz), a homemade 80 turn loop antenna and an unbelievably long antenna strung back and forth along the top of a fence. Maybe 1,000 of wire. I also made a homebrew low pass filter to silence the interference from broadcast stations and crude tuner antenna tuner out of spare parts and poking and praying. The receiver could be coaxed down to 8 kHz.

Today there is a problem with modern receivers and VLF reception. I have a Yaesu FT-450 and a Kenwood TS-570D and while both will receive in the VLF range down to 30 kHz, both also kick in a 20 db attenuator when you go below 1.800 MHz, which effectively kills their ability to receive distant stations below 160 meters. On the other hand, my Yaesu FT-817 doesn’t have this attenuator, so you can still enjoy AM and VLF DXing, albeit only to 100 kHz.

The VLF world is a weird stretch of radio spectrum. There are natural signals you will occasionally hear including the “dawn chorus”. A sound appearing at dawn which resemble the sound of birds at dawn, the cause of which is a bunch of mumbo jumbo related to the electrons being injected into the Earth’s magnetosphere by solar storms.

You may also hear a “whistler”, which sounds like someone whistling to get your attention, caused by static or “sferics” from thunderstorms in the southern hemisphere following the lines of the Earth’s magnetic field from storms located at the same latitude and longitude in South America. Static from the Amazon, in our case.

As you go higher in frequency you will on occasion hear teletype from naval bases to submarines and other military users.

 

Notably at:

16.300 kHz VTX1 INS Kattabomman, India
16.300 kHz JXN Novik, Norway
17.000 kHz VTX2 INS Kattabomman, India
17.200 kHz SAQ Grimeton, Sweden
18.100 kHz RDL Russian Navy (location varies)
18.200 kHz VTX3 Kattabomman, India
18.300 kHz HWU Ronay, France
19.100 kHz HWU Ronay, France
19.200 kHz VTX4 Kattabomman, India
19.580 kHz GBZ Anthorn, UK
19.800 kHz NWC Exmouth, Australia
20.270 kHz ICV Isloa Di Tavolara, Italy
20.900 kHz FTASainte-Assise, France
21.400 kHz NPM Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
21.750 kHz HWU Ronay, France
22.100 kHz GQD Skelton, OK
22.200 kHz NDT Ebino, Japan
23.400 kHz DHO38 Rhauderfehn, Germany
22.600 kHz HWU Ronay, France
24.000 kHz NAA Cutler, Maine
24.800 kHz NLK Jim Creek, Washington
25.000 kHz —– Mokpo, South Korea
25.200 kHz NML La Moure, North Dakota
26.700 kHz TBB Bafa, Turkey
37.500 kHz NRK.TFK Grindavik, Iceland
40.000 kHz JJY40 Fukishima, Japan
40.400 kHz SRC Varberg, Sweden
40.800 kHz NAU Aguada, PR
45.900 kHz NSY Niscemi, Italy
49.000 kHz SXA Marathon, Greece
51.950 kHz GYW1 Crimond, UK
60.000 kHz WWVB Fort Collins Colorado
62.600 kHz FUG Le Regine, France
65.800 kHz FUE Kerlouan, France
68.500 kHz BPC Henan, Provence, China
73.600 kHz CFH Halifax, Canada
77.500 kHz DCF77 Mainflingen, Germany
81.000 kHz GYN2 Inskip, UK
100.00 kHz LORAN-C Navigation System

As with all radio signals, there are no guarantees you will hear any of the above just when you want to. Patience is the key.

Note that WWVB at 60 kHz is a non-voice digital signal, quite unlike WWV & WWVH. It is the signal used to synch clocks and other devices. It sounds like a carrier with “occasional “dit” sounds.

As to LORAN-C, in May 2009 the Obama Administration declared the system obsolete and announced plans to terminate it. Some countries opted to continue the system as a backup to the GPS, in case it was disabled, either due to natural causes or an act of war. Other countries dropped the system. So, you may or may not hear a thing. If you tune to 100 kHz and hear a sound like dice being shaken in a Yahtzee cup, you are hearing LORAN-C.

It is quite different from the ear shattering buzz saw sound of the old LORAN-A system that transmitted from 1850 – 1950 kHz covering most of the 160 meter ham band. The 160 meter ham band was a secondary allocation, LORAN-C was primary and hams we’re at reduced power and on a non-interfering basis.

I can clearly recall the sound – like a dozen giant cicadas droning in slow motion.

Thankfully for hams that ended in North America on December 31, 1980.

So, there you have the radio world from 0 to 100 kHz.

If you have the equipment, give it a try. You never know what you will hear!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Mark’s Almanac

August was originally named “Sextilis”, the sixth Roman month. It was renamed August in honor of Caesar Augustus and lengthened to 31 days, to equal Julius Caesar’s month of July.

August is hot and humid and summer temperatures remain at or near their summer peak.

The rapid vegetation growth of spring is over, and, since conditions are now perfect for the growth of mold, fungi & germs, plants have a “used” look, which is enhanced if rainfall is scarce.

In August the choir of cicadas whine in the afternoon & towards the end of the month the big Yellow Sulphur Butterflies will begin heading to the South-Southeast, giving hints of their soon upcoming fall migration & cats will begin to hint of growing their winter coats.

Hurricane breeding grounds in August are the Atlantic, with Low Latitude “Cape Verde” storms forming off Africa crossing the Ocean and either threatening the Eastern Seaboard or striking the Leeward Islands, entering the Caribbean and then striking the Yucatan, or the Western or Northern Gulf coast. Breeding grounds also include the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

August is second only to September in the number of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. From 1851 to 2022 there have been 402 Tropical Storms and 252 Hurricanes, 82 of which made landfall in the United States, the most notable storms being Hurricanes Camille, Katrina and Ida in 1969, 2005 and 2021, which devastated Mississippi and Louisiana and Hurricane Andrew which ravaged South Florida in 1992.

21% of a year’s Hurricanes occur in August, however, 85 to 95% of land falling Hurricanes have not occurred by August 15.

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 74.4 degrees at the beginning of the month to 65.0 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases from 13 hours 48 minutes on August 1 to 12 hours 54 minutes on August 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

August 1 Sunrise 6:00 AM Sunset 7:47 PM
August 15 Sunrise 6:09 AM Sunset 7:34 PM
August 31 Sunrise 6:20 AM Sunset 7:14 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Cancer, The Crab.

Mercury, magnitude -0.3 in Leo, The Lion, is lost in the glow of the Sun this August.

Venus, magnitude -4.6 in Leo, The Lion, is lost in the glow of the Sun. She will pass between the Sun and the Earth, or reach “Inferior Conjunction” on August 13.

She by months end she will reemerge into the morning sky rising around 4:30 AM, almost 2 hours before the Sun.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, and her Moon is in the constellation Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Mars, magnitude +1.7, with his Moons Phobos and Deimos in Leo, The Lion, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude 8.8, is in Virgo, The Virgin.

Jupiter, magnitude –2.3, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, in Aries, The Ram, is an early morning object, rising at the first of the month, around midnight and reaching 64° above the southeast horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks just before 6 AM.

By months end he rises around 11 PM and reaches 71° above the eastern horizon around 5 AM and fades into the dawn an hour later.

Saturn, magnitude +0.6, and his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system, is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer,

He is a morning object, becoming visible around 10 PM and reaching his highest altitude of 45° above the southern horizon just after 2:30 AM, and fading from view at dawn.

He rises earlier and earlier as the month progresses and by months end he will rise at 8 PM and reach high highest point 44° above the southern horizon just after midnight and fades from view at sunrise.

He will reach peak brightness as he reaches “Opposition” or lies directly opposite of the Sun at 3 AM on August 27.

Uranus, magnitude +5.9, and his 27 moons and ring, in Aries, The Ram, has emerged from behind the sun and becomes visible half past midnight and reaches an altitude of 51° above the eastern horizon before fading into the dawn.

By month end he rises around 10:30 PM, reaching an altitude of 74° above the southern horizon before fading as dawn breaks.

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 14 moons and ring, is in Pisces, The Fish, is a morning object becoming accessible using a telescope at midnight at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon & reaching his highest point at 54° above the southern horizon around 4 AM and will only drop to 52° as twilight fades in.

By months end he will become accessible around 10 PM and will reach high highest point in the sky around 2 AM, 53° above the southern horizon, and finally disappearing from view three hours later in the twilight.

Dwarf Planet Pluto, with his five moons shines at a dim +14.4 in Sagittarius, The Archer.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of +17.4 in Bootes the Herdsman

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.2 in Coma Berenices.

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.7 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least five additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude +19.1 between Hydra, the Sea Monster and Serpens the Snake.

50000 Quaoar,and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Ophiucus the Serpent Bearer,

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.9 in Taurus the Bull.

225088 Gonggong, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Aquarius the Water Bearer.

Unnamed Dwarf Planet 2014 UZ224, nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.1 in Eridanus the River.

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,405,728,855 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 29 minutes and 56.3561 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 45 years, 10 months and 17 days is 14,872,856,766 miles, or in Light Time, 22 hours, 10 minutes and 40 Seconds from Earth as of 2:13 PM, July 22, 2023, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

There are 1,299,492 known asteroids as of July 22, per NASA.

5470 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of July 11, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

August’s Full Moon will occur August 1 at 1:33 PM or 18:33 UTC. August’s Full Moon was called “Fruit Moon” in Cherokee Folklore, “Women’s Moon” among the Choctaw, “Sturgeon Moon” by the Algonquin because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon and at one time was called “Dog Days Moon” by the Colonial Americans.

This is the second of four Supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

The Moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on August 1, when she will be 222,022 miles from Earth.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur August 8 at 5:28 AM CDT or 10:28 UTC.

During the Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks on the night of August 12 & 13, with 50 to 60 meteors per hour. This shower, produce by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862, ranks as the best of the best, famous for producing bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.

The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year. Skies should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

New Moon will occur at 4:39 AM CDT or 09:39 UTC on August 16. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on August 16, when she will be 252,671 miles from Earth.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur August 24 at 4:57 AM CDT or 9:57 UTC.

On August 24 a rare event will occur as the Moon passes in front of the bright star Antares
in the constellation Scorpius.

This event, called an “Occultation” will be visible from the contiguous United States, Mexico and Canada.

The occultation will be visible from Birmingham beginning with the disappearance of Antares behind the Moon at 21:47 CDT or 02:47 UTC August 25 in the south-western sky at an altitude of 18.6°, and ends with the star’s reappearance at 22:37 CDT or 3:37 UTC August 24 at an altitude of 11.5 degrees.

The astronomical term “Occultation” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “Middle English occultacion, borrowed from Latin occultātiōn-, occultātiō “concealment, interruption of light from a celestial body,” from occultāre “to prevent from being seen, conceal, keep secret” + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action”. It has nothing to do with the “occult” or any other type of witchy poo type of stuff.

Once in a blue moon you get a Blue Moon, one definition of which is “two full moons in a calendar month”.

On August 30 we will have a second Full Moon, which qualifies as a Blue Moon, which is also the third Supermoon of 2023.

This phase will occur 8:35 PM CDT or 01:35 UTC.

As with the Supermoon on August 1, the Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

NEWSFLASH!!!

“SMALL ASTEROID CAPTURED HOURS PRIOR TO EARTH IMPACT” says the various blurbs flashing on my laptop.

Hmmm….I thought. One could think that an inbound asteroid was intercepted and “captured” before impact. Some hyperdynamicthermofubbulator they’ve kept secret just grabbed hold of the sucker and captured it, saving the planet, one could conclude. If such technology suddenly appeared.

So, I naturally was curious.

On March 11, 2022, “Apollo Near-Earth Asteroid” 2022 EB5, a small 2 meter or 6.56 foot asteroid struck the Earth’s atmosphere at 11 miles per second and promptly disintegrated over the Arctic Ocean southwest of the Norwegian island Jan Mayen.

It produced a 4 kiloton fireball that was detected in Greenland and Norway and a bright flash was seen in Iceland.

So….it burned up in the atmosphere and did not “impact” the Earth.

It wasn’t exactly “captured” in the “grabbed the sucker” sense either.

Astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky at Konkoly Observatory’s Piszkéstető Station in Mátra Mountains, Hungary photographed the object about two hours before impact.

So, it was “captured” on film.

I guess “Asteroid photographed before burning up over Arctic” just isn’t dramatic enough.

Apollo Class Asteroids are a group of Near Earth, Earth orbit crossing asteroids named after 1862 Apollo, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

The largest of the 17,540 Apollos, is 1866 Sisyphus. A 4.35 mile rock which sport its own a tiny moon.

1866 Sisyphus is believed to be similar size to the Chicxulub object whose impact in the Yucatan is believed to have caused the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, a sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth, including all non-avian dinosaurs, approximately 66 million years ago.

There are also other Earth orbit crossing asteroids, namely 2,445 Aten asteroids.

Other Near Earth Asteroids are the 30 odd Atira Class Asteroids, which orbit just inside the Earth’s orbit and the 11,232 Amor Class Asteroids, which orbit just beyond the Earth’s orbit.

“It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it’s not for the timid.” – Q, Star Trek The Next Generation

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Special thanks to Lucy The Kitten who has “helped” me typ32hjbvvvvv344444 444444444444444444444e this.

This month’s meeting will be on August 8 at 7PM at the NWS Forecast Office in Calera.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter