Polaris

Polaris (α Ursae Minoris, α UMi, commonly the North Star or Pole Star) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.

It is a multiple star, comprising the main star, α UMi Aa, which is a supergiant; two smaller companions, α UMi B and α UMi Ab; and two distant components, α UMi C and α UMi D. α UMi B was discovered in 1780 by William Herschel.

The revised Hipparcos parallax calculates the distance to Polaris at about 434 light-years (133 parsecs). Many recent papers derive distances up to 30% closer, particularly by assuming that its pulsation is in the fundamental mode. Deriving an accurate distance is especially important because Polaris is the closest Cepheid variable to Earth, so its physical parameters are critically important to the whole astronomical distance scale.

History of observations

Polaris in stellar catalogues and atlases

Star system

α UMi Aa is a 4.5 solar mass (M_☉) F7 yellow supergiant (Ib). This is the first classical Cepheid to have a dynamical mass determined from its orbit. The two smaller companions are α UMi B, a 1.39 M_☉ F3 main-sequence star orbiting at a distance of 2400 AU, and α UMi Ab (or P), a very close F6 main- sequence star with an 18.8 AU radius orbit and 1.26 M_☉. There are also two distant components: α UMi C and α UMi D which have been shown to not be physically associated with the other three stars.

Polaris (convention)

Polaris (formerly Toronto Trek) is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the past and now held in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

It began in 1986 as a relaxacon as Toronto Trek Celebration. Two years later, in 1988, Toronto Trek Celebration 2 took place. In 1989 it dropped the word "Celebration" and became simply "Toronto Trek". For its twenty-first convention in 2007, the name was changed to "Polaris". At Polaris 26, held July 5–7, 2012, it was announced Polaris had come to an end and that a new convention would replace Polaris in 2013.

The convention had a focus on media guests from science fiction, fantasy movies and television series and novel authors such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jericho, Lost and Battlestar Galactica. Photo opportunities, autographs and Question & Answer sessions feature the media guest, who sometimes come to other programming and after hours events.

USS Periwinkle (1864)

USS Periwinkle (1864) was a steamer procured by the Union Navy during the final months of the American Civil War. She served the Union Navy’s struggle against the Confederate States of America as a patrol gunship.

After the war, this ship was retained by the U.S. Navy to support the Hall Scientific Expedition to the Arctic Ocean, and during this voyage – under her new name Polaris – she proceeded into Arctic waters, only to have her hull crushed by the ice.

Construction

America, a heavy screw tugboat built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1864, was purchased by the Union Navy 9 December 1864 from John W. Lynn; renamed Periwinkle; and commissioned early in January 1865, Acting Master Henry C. Macy in command.

Assigned to river patrol in the Potomac River

The two-masted, schooner-rigged, white oak tug joined the Potomac Flotilla 15 January 1865 as a gunboat, and operated primarily in the Rappahannock River.

In mid-March, a fleet of oyster schooners operating in the area was threatened by a Confederate enemy force, and Periwinkle with USS Morse, blockaded the mouths of the Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers to protect them. The Flotilla also interrupted contraband business between lower Maryland and Virginia, and cleared the rivers of mines, and fought guerillas ashore.

Book of Amos

The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II, (786–746 BC) making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern kingdom of Israel. His major themes of social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy.

Authorship

Amos was a prophet, see Amos (prophet), during the reign of Jeroboam ben Joash (Jeroboam II), ruler of Israel from 793 BC to 753 BC, and the reign of Uzziah, King of Judah, at a time when both kingdoms (Israel in the North and Judah in the South) were peaking in prosperity. He was a contemporary of the prophet Hosea, but likely preceded him. Many of the earlier accounts of prophets found in the Tanakh are found within the context of other accounts of Israel's history. Amos, however, is the first prophet whose name also serves as the title of the corresponding biblical book in which his story is found.

AMO

Amo or AMO may refer to:

Places

People

Organizations

Other uses

Americium dioxide

Americium dioxide (AmO₂) is a black compound of americium. In the solid state AmO₂ adopts the fluorite, CaF₂ structure. It is used as a source of alpha particles.

Historical Use

Synthesis of americium dioxide involves precipitating a solution of americium in hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution as described by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory The demand for americium dioxide stems from the difficulty of storing the element americium as a liquid in the hydrochloric acid solution because the alpha radiation and hydrochloric acid decomposes storage containers over time. To solve the liquid storage problem, Oak Ridge National Laboratory devised a synthesis to turn liquid americium Hydrochloric acid solution into a precipitated form of americium for safer handling and more efficient storage.

Synthesis (1960)

Synthesis of americium dioxide as described by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory includes making a solution of americium in hydrochloric acid by adding americium to hydrochloric acid, then neutralizing the acid as using ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) shown in the flow chart.