WAS

8332

Volume 103

Number 2

Summer 2017

Journal of the

MCZ

WASHINGTON LIBRARY

AUG 16 2017

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HARVARD

UNIVERSITY

BUNNIES PSNMTEAEV Sta Sea CUI scree recta ches cze conaeeopasosnrnyronyosenscHasveansanasenescotscdbexsnsnennevenss ii

Board of Discipline Eqitors ...........-:.....scsesssscsssssssssssssssnescesssrsescescercesnusesecsecnnneesecusnnusnssenenssscscersesnass iii

Hydrogen Line Observations of Cometary Spectra 4. PAIS .......:ccssssssessssssseseseeeiiinen 1

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Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet .................:csccccsseceseeeeessseeessseeessnnecssseneesnnesecnsnsnennnnecnanessen 35

Membership Application ....................::cccssssssssscssssseeeecesssnneeeeeesnnnuneescesssneessccsssnsneecersnsnansecensannnsnsente 45

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BFhiliated SOCIETIES aNd Delegates, .....:........2...1.-..sceccveecneseveccsssnesssccssesovsroscessensecoesasviseronsesvesnvecsees

ISSN 0043-0439 Issued Quarterly at Washington DC

Washington Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1898

BOARD OF MANAGERS

Elected Officers

President

Sue Cross

President Elect

Mina Izadjoo

Treasurer

Ronald Hietala

Secretary

Anna Maria Berea

Vice President, Administration

Terry Longstreth

Vice President, Membership

Ram Sriram

Vice President, Junior Academy

Paul Arveson

Vice President, Affiliated Societies

Gene Williams

Members at Large

Michael Cohen

Terrell Erickson

Frank Haig, S.J.

Meisam Izadjoo

Mary Snieckus

Past President

Mike Coble

AFFILIATED SOCIETY DELEGATES

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Editor of the Journal

Sethanne Howard

Journal of the Washington Academy of

Sciences (ISSN 0043-0439)

Published by the Washington Academy of

Sciences

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website: www.washacadsci.org

The Journal of the Washington Academy

of Sciences

The Journal is the official organ of the

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Original science research, proceedings of

scholarly meetings of its Affiliated Societies,

and other items of interest to its members. It

is published quarterly. The last issue of the

year contains a directory of the current

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Volume 103

Number 2

Summer 2017

Journal of the

WASHINGTON

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Editor's Comments S. Howard

Beara On Discio Mite) BGNLORS 25.7).0 5h. 8s. 1,58ale na: Neg MRE a. HG teat ee rcs iil

Hydrogen Line Observations of Cometary Spectra 4. PQS ..c.cecceccccsesssssessesseestesseesesesteees 1

EMME RET AUU AED ER chiA OY COE Cl eres 2 eat eae co retest ies dies te ca vets dendav ee Avra terete aN Tavid decider vee eevIC 21

Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet «........:...:..0s..ceccsivecnscsesscensesssaenevesqeousnpeteqeensdtecasonseberedssneed 35

PAILS STON REED: As EO UD ENG AEN GHID cv te street ead vue ceva A canned cvecev sk secectdawawl uss cpa aha sre axcaRA aE 45

Se sa UGI PN Htc MUM RAIN NG ca-a Cece vo yerns tesa egcae obese ees as a Wa acdeme OCEL RL gy ARN aeTEN 46

PG UAL 2: Ci as aaa ae ne ort APR aR Serene ne eer ene ee ont ee 47

Aitiliated Societies ariel. Del ates irri. viassieec rr sishiesodeucensanseteeireen ee ein ie dinehy

ISSN 0043-0439 Issued Quarterly at Washington DC

Summer 2017

Editor’s Comments

Welcome to the summer issue of the Journal. In this issue we include some

information from the annual meeting and awards banquet held in May 2017.

We installed our new Board of Directors and presented several scientific

awards. Photographs of the awardees and two speeches from the outgoing

and incoming President are provided at the end of this issue.

The first paper in this issue 1s somewhat controversial. It 1s a study

of an old radio astronomy signal called the “Wow” signal. Observed on 15

August 1977 the signal has never had a satisfactory explanation. The author

suggests a possible source for this signal. Perhaps we finally have an

answer.

The second paper is the story of the first scientist in history whose

name we know and writings we have. She lived in ancient Sumer (in the

Fertile Crescent). It can be said that history and science began in ancient

Sumer (c. 3000 BCE). She was one of the early scientists there whose work

has lasted through the millennia.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please email

(wasjournal(@washacadsci.org) comments on papers, suggestions for

articles, and ideas for what you would like to see in the Journal. We are a

peer reviewed journal and need volunteer reviewers. If you would like to be

on our reviewer list please send email to the above address. List your

specialty.

Sethanne Howard

Washington Academy of Sciences

Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences

Editor Sethanne Howard showard@washacadsci.org

Board of Discipline Editors

The Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences has an 11-member

Board of Discipline Editors representing many scientific and technical

fields. The members of the Board of Discipline Editors are affiliated with a

variety of scientific institutions in the Washington area and beyond —

government agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST); universities such as Georgetown; and professional

associations such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

(IEEE).

Anthropology Emanuela Appetiti eappetiti@hotmail.com

Astronomy Sethanne Howard sethanneh@msn.com

Biology/Biophysics Eugenie Mielcezarek mielczar@physics.gmu.edu

Botany Mark Holland maholland@salisbury.edu

Chemistry Deana Jaber djaber@marymount.edu

Environmental Natural

Sciences Terrell Erickson terrell.erickson! @wdc.nsda.gov

Health Robin Stombler rstombler@auburnstrat.com

History of Medicine Alain Touwaide atouwaide@hotmail.com

Operations Research Michael Katehakis mnk@rci.rutgers.edu

Science Education Jim Egenrieder jim@deepwater.org

Systems Science Elizabeth Corona elizabethcorona@gmail.com

Summer 2017

HYDROGEN LINE OBSERVATIONS OF

COMETARY SPECTRA AT 1420 MHZ

Antonio Paris

The Center for Planetary Science

Abstract

In 2016, the Center for Planetary Science proposed a hypothesis

arguing a comet and/or its hydrogen cloud were a strong candidate

for the source of the “Wow!” signal. From 27 November 2016 to

24 February 2017, the Center for Planetary Science conducted 200

observations in the radio spectrum to validate the hypothesis. The

investigation discovered comet 266/P Christensen emitted a radio

signal at 1420.25 MHz. All radio emissions detected were within

1° (60 arcminutes) of the known celestial coordinates of the comet

as it transited the neighborhood of the “Wow!” signal. During

observations of the comet, a series of experiments determined that

known celestial sources at 1420 MHz (i.e., pulsars and/or active

galactic nuclei) were not within 15° of 266/P Christensen. In an

effort to dismiss the source of the signal as emitting from 266/P

Christensen, the position of the 10-meter radio telescope was

moved 1° (60 arcminutes) away from comet 266/P Christensen.

During this experiment, the 1420.25 MHz signal from the comet

disappeared. When the radio telescope was repositioned back to

266/P Christensen, a radio signal at 1420.25 MHz re-appeared.

Furthermore, to determine if comets other than 266/P Christensen

emit a radio signal at 1420 MHz, we observed three comets that

were selected randomly from the JPL Small Bodies database:

P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra), P/2016 JI-A (PANSTARRS) and,

237P/LINEAR. During observations of these comets, we detected

a radio signal at 1420 MHz. The results of this investigation,

therefore, conclude that cometary spectra are detectable at 1420

MHz and, more importantly, that the 1977 “Wow” Signal was

natural phenomena from a Solar System body.

Introduction

ON 15 AUGUST 1977 the Ohio State University Radio Observatory

detected a strong narrowband signal in the constellation Sagittarius (Sgr) [1].

The frequency of the signal, which matched closely with the hydrogen line

(1420.40575177 MHz), peaked at approximately 23:16:01 EDT [2]. On the

same date and time, comet 266P/Christensen was transiting in the vicinity

Summer 2017

where the “Wow!” Signal was detected [3]. The purpose of this

investigation, therefore, was to collect and analyze radio emission spectra

and determine if comet 266P/Christensen and/or any other previously

unknown celestial body in the Solar System was the source of the 1977

“Wow!” Signal. This investigation, moreover, was designed to further

improve our understanding of the content and origin of the “Wow!” Signal

by determining if a neutral hydrogen cloud emitted from a short-period

comet could be detected by a terrestrial radio telescope. The purpose of this

investigation, conversely, was not to measure the amplitude, strength or

brightness of 266/P Christensen’s hydrogen cloud. The Center for Planetary

Science will conduct this part of the investigation in 2019.

10-Meter Radio Telescope and Spectrometer

For this experiment, we used a 10-meter radio telescope equipped

with a spectrometer and a custom feed horn designed to collect a signal

centered at 1420.25 with a total bandwidth of 6.5 MHz. The radio telescope

is composed of a frontend unit which includes a low noise preamplifier and

a cylindrical feed horn for 1420 MHz. The 1420 MHz signal from the LNA

enters the rear panel (receiver backend) and 1s fed to a 1420 to 70 MHz dual

conversion (internal) down converter. This converter has approximately 3

dB = 8 MHz bandwidth with the Hydrogen rest frequency at 70.0 MHz. This

3 dB = 8 MHz wide IF signal is passed through a programmable gain IF

amplifier and then split between the continuum square law detector and the

spectrometer third conversion mixer. The programmable gain IF amp is used

to compensate for feedline losses and to place the signal in optimum range

for the square law detectors [4].

The SpectraCyber software provides a control and hardware setting

interface to the spectrometer. In addition, the software includes features

which allowed the observer to select between spectral and continuum

observations, select time coordinate systems for the data files, set the

computer clock to within 500 milliseconds, and change graphical features

such as background or the amplitude axis on the data plot [4]. Final

modifications for the software included a rapid scan rate mode, frequency

shifting from 1420.406 to a 70 MHz IF, and km/sec displayed on the X axis.

The graphs highlighted hereafter are ‘signal-averaged-intensity in

volts (later converted to dB) versus frequency’ plots (in time) obtained

Washington Academy of Sciences

directly from the 10-meter radio telescope with custom acquisition times,

which varied depending on the observation [8]. To convert voltage changes

to decibels and determine the strength of the signal’s gain, the following

logarithmic formula was used:

GB = Sine

The data collected were then saved using the spreadsheet output

format option of the SpectraCyber software and imported into Microsoft

Excel as a text file. The data were then re-plotted and interpreted using the

Chart Wizard feature in Microsoft Excel and converted into JPEG format.

Testing the Hypothesis

From 27 November 2016 to 24 February 2017, a series of

observations in the neighborhood of the “Wow!” signal coordinates were

conducted to ascertain if the alleged ‘““Wow!” signal was natural phenomena

rather than a signal from a source of extraterrestrial intelligence. These

observations were made in both spectral and continuum mode (Table 1).

In continuum mode, neutral hydrogen at rest with respect to the radio

telescope’s acquisition time appears as a peak along the x axis while its

intensity, in decibels (dB), appears along the y axis. In spectral mode, the

neutral hydrogen line peaks that appear higher in frequency on the left side

of the centered dashed line are due to neutral hydrogen gas receding

(redshifted). Conversely, the neutral hydrogen line peaks that appear at

frequencies higher on the right side of the centered dashed line are due to

neutral hydrogen gas approaching (blueshifted).

Preliminary experiments from 27 November 2016 to 01 January

2017 were conducted to test, refine, and prepare for the observation of comet

266/P Christensen. The comet was then observed as it transited the area of

the “Wow!” signal between 20 January 2017 and 28 January 2017. In total,

200 observations (Table 1) were completed, which comprised of:

» The Galactic Plane near the coordinates of the 1977 ““Wow!”

signal

» Radio Galaxy Cygnus A

» The Sun

Summer 2017

Comet 266/P Christensen as it transited near the coordinates of

the “Wow!” signal

= Comet 266/P Christensen as it transited outside the coordinates

of the “Wow!” signal.

6 . ”

= Clear Sky Observations near the coordinates of the “Wow!

signal, and

= Obtain a baseline of random comets to determine if they emit a

radio signal at 1420 MHz:

= Comet P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra)

= Comet P/2016 J1-A (PANSTARRS)

= Comet 237P/LINEAR

Date Target Type of Observation Observations 1420 MHz Detected

27-Nov-16 1420 MHz Tramsmitter Baseline Drift Scan to Test Feedhorn 2 Yes

12-Dee-16 Sun Baseline Drift Scan to Test Feedhorn 4 Yes

14-Dec-16 Cygnus A Baseline Drift Scan to Test Feedhom 5 Yes

5-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Drift Scan to Test Feedhorn 4 Yes

9-Jan-17 Cygnus A Baseline Drift Scan 5 Yes

10-Jan-17 Cyepnus A Baseline Dnft Scan 5 Yes

11-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Dnft Scan 5 Yes

12-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Drift Scan 5 Yes

12-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Dnft Scan 5 Yes

13-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnft Scan a Yes

13-Jan-17 206/P Dnift Scan 4 Yes

14-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Dnift Scan 5 Yes

14-Jan-17 266!P Dnft Sean 4 Yes

19-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Drift Scan 4 Yes

19-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Drift Scan 5 Yes

19-Jan-17 266/P Dnft Scan 4 Yes

2()-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnft Scan 4 Yes

20-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Drift Scan 5 Yes

20-Jan-17 266/P {at Wow! Signal Coordinates) Dnft Scan 5 Yes

26-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnft Scan 4 Yes

26-Jan-17 Cygnus A Baseline Drift Scan 3 Yes

26-Jan-17. 266/P {at Wow! Signal Coordinates) Dnft Scan 4 Yes

27-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnft Scan 5 Yes

27-Jan-17 Cygnus A Baseline Dnft Scan - Yes

27-Jan-17 =266/P {at Wow! Signal Coordinates} Dnft Scan 4 Yes

27-Jan-17 Clear Sky Baseline Dnft Scan 1 No

28-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnift Scan 2 Yes

28-Jan-17 Clear Sky (Wow! Signal Coordinates) Baseline Drift Scan - No

28-Jan-17 = 266/P {at Wow! Signal Coordinates) Dnt Scan 5 Yes

28-Jan-17 Sun Baseline Dnt Scan 2 Yes

28-Jan-17 Galactic Plane Baseline Drift Scan 5 Yes

29-Jan-17 Clear Sky (Wow! Signal Coordinates) Baseline Drift Scan 5 No

30-Jan-17 Clear Sky (Wow! Signal Coordinates) Baseline Dnift Scan 5 No

30-Jan-17 Clear Sky (Wow! Signal Coordinates) Baseline Drift Scan 5 No

30-Jan-17 Clear Sky (Wow! Signal Coordinates} Baseline Drift Scan = No

22-Feb-17 Comet P/2013 EW90 Baseline Drift Scan 15 Yes

23-Feb-17 Comet P/2016 J1-A Baseline Drift Scan 16 Yes

24-Feb-17 Comet 237P/LINEAR Baseline Drift Scan 20 Yes

Total Observations 200

Table 1:

List of observations conducted from 27 November 2016 to 24 February 2017.

Washington Academy of Sciences

During all phases of this investigation, the 10-meter radio telescope

was tested and calibrated daily to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, all data

collected was handwritten and logged into the Center for Planetary Science

Observation log, which was then typed and saved as a PDF file. As a

reference for the reader, all altitude and azimuth noted hereafter are in

relation to the Site-B Observatory, which is located in Wesley Chapel, FL

and the coordinates for comets 266/P Christensen, P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra),

P/2016 J1-A (PANSTARRS), and 237P/LINEAR were obtained from the

JPL Small Bodies Database.

Baseline Data Collection of Radio Galaxy Cygnus

To establish a baseline for 1420 MHz, and to disqualify potential

noise, the 10-meter radio telescope was directed toward Cygnus A during

several observing days (Table 1). The galaxy Cygnus A, which is 263

megaparsecs away [5], is the strongest known celestial radio source, other

than the Sun, in the sky. Cygnus A contains an active galactic nucleus. The

source of this strong radio signal 1s a result of the dense region at the center

of the galaxy, which has a much greater than normal luminosity of the

electromagnetic spectrum [6]. This excess emission, which is thought to be

a result of the accretion of matter by a supermassive black hole [6], can be

observed at 1420 MHz. The Site-B 10-meter radio telescope was directed

toward Cygnus A on five separate dates for a total of 24 observations (Table

1). The purpose of these observations were to determine the accuracy of the

radio telescope’s position toward known celestial coordinates, to acquire a

baseline reading at 1420 MHz, and to collect data from Cygnus A in both

spectral and continuum mode.

Cygnus A Profile in Spectral Mode

All observations of Cygnus A (Table 2) produced strong radio

emissions at 1420 MHz. On average, the baseline signal as Cygnus A drifted

into the lobe of the telescope increased 9.70 dB. (Figure 1). As Cygnus A

drifted away from the lobe of the telescope, the signal decreased 16.4 dB.

The observations of Cygnus A, therefore, concluded that the 10-meter radio

telescope’s azimuth and altitude indicators were optimally functional, the

10-meter radio telescope detected radio emissions at 1420 MHz, and a

spectral baseline of neutral hydrogen from a known celestial source could

be later compared with comet 266/P Christensen.

Summer 2017

Right Ascension 20°00" 03.49"

Declination

je) | °

Altitude fi 28.0 ~~ iw F

s we . hg

“3 al =]

Azimuth ( $8' 40.6 & 7 j a.

. Madan SW rf” \ ee)

Galactic Longitude 076° 1123.3" i micheal es, hes 164

Galactic Latitude OS" 45° 19.6"

6 4s 90

e . 2 ; ee : TimeinSeconds Z

Table 2: Celestial Coordinates of Galaxy Figure 1: 1420 MHz Radio Emission from

Cygnus A on 14 December 2016 at 1222 EST — Galaxy Cygnus A on 14 December 2016 at

1222 EST

Cygnus A Profile in Continuum Mode

Observations of Cygnus A (Table 3) in continuum mode produced

strong radio emissions at 1420 MHz. On average, the baseline signal as

Cygnus A drifted into the lobe of the telescope increased 10.20 dB. (Figure

2). As Cygnus A drifted away from the lobe of the telescope, the signal

decreased 9.11 dB. The observations of Cygnus A, therefore, concluded the

10-meter radio telescope’s azimuth and altitude indicators were optimally

functional, the 10-meter radio telescope detected radio emissions at 1420

MHz, and a continuum baseline of neutral hydrogen from a known celestial

source could be later compared with comet 266/P Christensen.

Right Ascension

20°00" 03.66"

nd ———0 -—~

Declination +40° 46' 58.8" \ =

fs s

‘ a

Altitude 1° 20 c gs a

= 5 Ss

Avimuth 316° 2225.1" “ed = es

ie) w

Galactic Longitude 076° 11° 23.3"

Galactic Latitude +05° 45° 19.6"

Time in Seconds

Table 3: Celestial Coordinates of Radio

Galaxy Cygnus A on 10 January 2017

at 1416 EST

Figure 2: Radio Galaxy Cygnus A

Washington Academy of Sciences

Table 4: Drift Scan Celestial Coordinates for Galactic Plane Observations

RA Start Declination Start RA End Declination End

Scan A 17h58m03.77s -18°58'54.7" 18h57m43.3 1s -17°25'06.4"

Scan B 17h50m59.16s -24°12'30.6" 18h55m24.84s -24°44'39.3"

Scan C 17h48m37.55s -27°49'59.5" 18h54m11.13s -27°43'S6.0'

Baseline Data Collection of the Galactic Plane

The Site-B 10-meter radio telescope was directed toward the Milky

Way’s Galactic Plane (Table 4) on six separate dates for a total of 30

observations (Figure 3). The Milky Way’s Galactic Plane is the plane in

which most of the galaxy’s mass lies. The Galactic Plane is the most

common known source of strong radio emissions in the electromagnetic

spectrum, including at 1420 MHz [7]. Throughout this experiment the edge

of the Galactic Plane, as viewed from an East to West azimuth, was 23°

from the coordinates of the “Wow!” signal and the location of comet 266/P

Christensen.

The purpose of these observations was to determine the accuracy of

the radio telescope’s position toward the sky, to conduct a baseline reading

at 1420 MHz, and to locate and identify known/unknown celestial radio

sources that could account for as the source of the 1977 “Wow!” signal. The

acquisition times for these sets of observations were 40 minutes long, which

provided sufficient time for the Galactic Plane to drift completely over the

lobe of the telescope.

Galactic Plane Profile in Spectral Mode

Observations of the Galactic Plane in areas A, B, and C (Figures 4,

5, and 6) did not detect strong radio sources at 1420 MHz. The gradual

increase of the baseline signal was due to hydrogen gas approaching radially

(blueshifted).

Summer 2017

84° 57" 60.5* Alt «26° OF 5).0*

Current Location: 28° 18 6, O82" 37 W 208 Cheiatersen - Mag 23.0 Comet inSagtarus = *

Figure 3: Location of scans and observations

Figure 4: Spectral Drift “A” Scan of Galactic Plan on 12 January 2017

9 Redshifted 45 Blueshifted 90

Time in Seconds

Figure 5: Spectral Drift “B” Scan of Galactic Plan on 19 January 2017

: Redshifted 45 Blueshifited 90

Time in Seconds

Figure 6: Spectral Drift “C” Scan of Galactic Plan on 20 January 2017

211 |

a ye

Redshifted Blueshified

45 90

Time in Seconds

Washington Academy of Sciences

Galactic Plane Profile in Continuum Mode

Observations of the Galactic Plane in areas A, B and C detected a

strong radio source at 1420 MHz (Figure 7). In an effort to acquire the

Galactic Plane “edge on” as it drifted into and out of the lobe of the

telescope, an acquisition time of 40 minutes was required. On average, the

baseline signal as the Galactic Plane drifted into the lobe of the telescope

increased 6.36 dB. (Figure 7). As the Galactic Plane drifted away from the

lobe of the telescope, the signal decreased 11.45 dB.

6.36 {\

Gain in dB

qp ul sso7T

{

Time in Minutes

Figure 7: Drift Scan of Galactic Plane on 14 January

2017 at 1200 EST (Continuum Mode)

Baseline Data Collection of the Sun

From 27 November 2016 to 30 January 2017 33 observations of the

Sun were completed (Table 5). The purpose of these observations were to

obtain a baseline reading of neutral hydrogen and to confirm the accuracy

of the telescope’s altitude and azimuth indicators prior to every observation

of comet 266/P Christensen. All observations of the Sun detected a strong

neutral hydrogen signal. The strength of the neutral hydrogen is represented

as a single line moving up along the y and x axis (Figure 8) as the Sun drifted

into the lobe of the telescope.

Summer 2017

Gain in dB 2

Time in Minutes

Table 5: Celestial Coordinates of the Sun Figure 8: Drift Scan of the Sun on

12 December 2016 at 1200 EST 12 December 2016 at 1200 EST

(Continuum Mode) (Continuum Mode)

Observations of Comet 266/P Christensen

From 20 — 28 January 2017, the 10-meter radio telescope was

directed at comet 266/P Christensen (Figure 9) as it transited near the

coordinates of the “Wow!” signal. During all observations (Tables 6, 7 and

8) a radio signal with varying intensity at 1420.25 MHz was detected. On

20 January 2017, at 1100 EST, as comet 266/P Christensen drifted into the

lobe of the telescope, the baseline signal increased 7.95 dB. As the comet

drifted away from the lobe of the telescope, the signal decreased by 11.48

dB. (Figure 10). On 26 January 2017, at 1100 EST, as comet 266/P

Christensen drifted into the lobe of the telescope, the baseline signal

increased 8.32 dB. As the comet drifted away from the lobe of the telescope,

the signal decreased 7.80 dB. (Figure 11). The final observation was

conducted on 28 January 2017 at 1235 EST. As comet 266/P Christensen

drifted into the lobe of the telescope, the baseline signal increased 9.97 dB.

As the comet drifted away from the lobe of the telescope, the signal

decreased 11.42 dB (Figure 12).

Washington Academy of Sciences

Figure 9: Date of Observations of Comet 266/P Christensen in relation to the coordinates

of the Wow! signal in 1977

19h 30m

. p ! hit Sgr

* 266P/CHRISTENSEN ip

*- 28 JAN 2017 a sd

©-— 266P/CHRISTENSEN Fan eae

ee 266P/CHRISTENSEN ‘ ;

20 JAN 2017 ~~

URING OBSERY, id

As abs NS

NEGATIVEHORN POSITIVE HORN

15 AUG 77 15AUG77

J2000 Equinox J2000 Equinox

‘ wees

NEGATIVEHORN POSITIVE HORN

15 AUG 77. _ 15AUG77

B1950 Equinox B1950 Equinox

Repositioning of the Telescope during Observations of Comet 266/P

Christensen

On 28 January 2017, at 1130 EST and 1200 EST, the 10-meter radio

telescope was directed at comet 266/P Christensen. During both

observations, a radio signal at 1420.25 MHz was detected. In an effort to

dismiss the radio signal as emanating from comet 266/P Christensen, the

radio telescope was repositioned “away from” and “back to” the comet. In

the first experiment, the radio telescope’s azimuth was moved 1° (60

arcminutes) away from comet 266/P Christensen. As the telescope rotated

away from the comet, the strength of the radio signal decreased 10.12 dB

(Figure 13). Conversely, when the telescope rotated 1° (60 arcminutes) back

to the comet, the radio signal increased 13.39 dB (Figure 14). The second

set of experiments was centered on rotating the telescope’s altitude 1° (60

arcminutes) away from comet 266/P Christensen. When the telescope

rotated away from the comet the signal decreased 9.3 dB. When the

Summer 2017

telescope was redirected 1° (60 arcminutes) back to the comet the signal

increased 8.7 dB (Figure 15).

Signal to Noise Ratio of Comet 266/P Christensen and the “Wow! e?

Signal

The maximum value of the “Wow!” Signal was 30 sigma (i.e., 30

times the standard deviation of the data). The peak of the “Wow!” Signal,

moreover, was about 30.76 sigma. This also means that the signal-to-noise

ratio was about 30.76 at the peak.

By using the signal to noise ratio (snr) formula (Figure 16), where

pSignal is the strongest signal strength we detected from 266/P Christensen

(5.21 volts on 20 January 2017), pNoise is the background noise detected

during the same observation of 266/P Christensen (3.55, 3.44, 3.14, 3.98),

11s the mean and a is the standard deviation (sigma), we calculated that the

snr for comet 266/P Christensen was 4.76 sigma. We infer, therefore, that

the signal we detected during observations of 266/P Christensen was not

background noise. We speculate that the strength of the original “Wow!”

signal in 1977 (30 sigma) would have been accounted for the size of the Big

Ear Radio Telescope (when compared to Site B’s 10-meter telescope)

and/or the potential loss of mass from comet 266/P Christensen, which

would have been considerably larger 40 years ago.

Measurements of Clear Sky in Sagittarius

From 28 - 30 January 2017, 24 clear sky observations in continuum

mode were conducted. The purpose of these observations were two-fold: to

determine if any radio signals at 1420 MHz could be detected after 266/P

Christensen transited out of the area where the “Wow!” signal was detected;

and to acquire a baseline of background noise near the coordinates of the

“Wow!” signal. During these observations (Figures 17, 18, and 19), the

baseline signal remained stable from 1.06 dB to 1.07 dB and no considerable

radio emission at 1420 MHz, other than background and system noise, was

detected.

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Table 6: Celestial Coordinates of Figure 10: Drift Scan of Comet

Comet 266/P Christensen on 20 266/P Christensen on 20 January

Right Ascension 19° 19° 44.21" s

oo +f \

Declination 25° (1'23.1° Fi \ =

r | 2

Altitude +35° 24' 53.3" 2 oe a

35° 2453.3 ~ Nes 5

he \ O.

Azimuth 166° 18°20.1" a ee)

©)

Galactic Longitude

012° 55° 08.0"

Galactic Latitude

-16° 46' 50.9"

1420.25 MHz

0 45 90

Figure 16: Signal to Noise Ratio Formula Time in Seconds

Figure 11: Drift Scan of Comet

Table 7: Celestial Coordinates of 266/P Christensen on 26 January

Comet 266/P Christensen on 26 2017 at 1100 EST

Right Ascension 19°25" 54.97" ay : A

2 | S

Declination 24° 48549 og } v

fl 5

‘ Se Ca fA | a

Al $36° 2125.8" ) |

Altitude 36° 21' 25.8 Ces 4M he 4 ~ 5, ee)

Azimuth 171° 03' 39.3" 7.80

Galactic Longitude 013° 3941.9"

Galactic Latitude -18° 00° 14.6"

, a 1420.25 MHz

Time in Seconds

Table 8: Celestial Coordinates of Comet Figure 12: Drift Scan of Comet

266/P Christensen on 28 January 2017 at 266/P Christensen on 28 January

Right Ascension 19" 28” 01.32"

9.97 ee" |

Declination 24° 4451.4 |

fea) } ae

oO °

Altitude +34° 2438.1" og a

£ | 5

Azimuth jogos 19.8" — nica \ ree =

11.42

Galactic Longitude 013° 55' 59.2"

Galactic Latitude -18° 25’ 17.9" ; -

———_ _ Ee

Time in Seconds

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ea { /

Signal t 8 pleco, ; a | hae ee

on Ss sETRURIES eh whereas = x] 4+x2...+Xn and go = J eae > rad (x, jt)

PNoise Oo 5

3.55 +3.4443.14+5.21+3.98 — 3,364

nN 2

i =D a") =0.811

a o= i 4 pa = yer 5 (Gay 2 (CMS aes (CHIME fig) 18 (Gill ay My 2 (IIE 17h)

ms i= N=

Figure 17: Clear Sky Drift Scan on 28 January 2017 where comet 266/P Christensen was on 20

January 2017

Opa. Sala a =

jaa)

42)

0) 10 20

Time in Minutes

Figure 18: Clear Sky Drift Scan on 29 January 2017 where comet 266/P Christensen was on 26

January 2017

Ln eee ee

at a ae

0 10 20

Time in Minutes

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Figure 19: Clear Sky Drift Scan on 30 January 2017 where comet 266/P Christensen was on 28

January 2017

0 10 20

Time in Minutes

Observations of Three Random Comets

From 22 — 24 February 2017, the 10-meter radio telescope was

directed at three random comets selected from the JPL Small Bodies

Database. The comets selected were P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra), P/2016 J1-A

(PANSTARRS), and 237P/LINEAR. The purpose of these observations

was to determine if a comet other than 266/P Christensen emitted a radio

signal at 1420 MHz. During observations, these comets were more than 10°

from the Sun and more than 20° from the Galactic Plane.

On 22 February 2017, the 10-meter radio telescope made 15

observations of comet P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra) as it transited the

constellation Aquarius. During these observations, a radio signal with

varying intensity at 1420 MHz was detected. At 1100 EST, as comet P/2013

EW90 (Tenagra) drifted into the lobe of the telescope, the baseline signal

increased 5.62 dB (Figure 209). As the comet drifted away from the lobe of

the telescope, the signal decreased by 5.67 dB. All 15 observations of

P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra) detected a radio signal at 1420 MHz.

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1420.5 MHz

> §.62

Gain in dB

qp ul sso7

0 45 90

Time in Seconds

Figure 20:

Drift Scan of Comet P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra) on 22 February 2017 at 1100 EST

On 22 February 2017, the 10-meter radio telescope made 16

observations of comet P/2016 JI-A (PANSTARRS) as it transited the

constellation Aquarius. During these observations, a radio signal with

varying intensity at 1420 MHz was detected. At 1130 EST, as comet P/2016

J1-A (PANSTARRS) drifted into the lobe of the telescope, the baseline

signal increased 5.64 dB (Figure 21). As the comet drifted away from the

lobe of the telescope, the signal decreased by 5.22 dB. All 16 observations

of P/2016 JI-A (PANSTARRS) detected a radio signal at 1420 MHz.

On 24 February 2017, the 10-meter radio telescope made 20

observations of comet 237P/LINEAR as it transited the constellation

Aquarius. During these observations, a radio signal with varying intensity

at 1420 MHz was detected. At 1230 EST, as comet 237P/LINEAR drifted

into the lobe of the telescope, the baseline signal increased 5.40 dB (Figure

22). As the comet drifted away from the lobe of the telescope, the signal

decreased by 5.63 dB. All 20 observations of 237P/LINEAR detected a

radio signal at 1420 MHz.

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1420.5 MHz

Gain in dB

GP ul sso7y

45 90

Time in Seconds

Figure 21:

Drift Scan of Comet P/2016 J1-A (PANSTARRS) on 23 February 2017 at 1130 EST

1420.5 MHz

joa)

ee + 5.40

: |

; |

| ie

fo}

‘é So K ; in

atin per N facia Y™ St OGRE Se tang gh pant J Wot” Naan 5

5.63 a.

ioe]

0 45 90

Time in Seconds

Figure 22:

Drift Scan of Comet 237P/LINEAR on 24 February 2017 at 1230 EST

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Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Upon completion of the 200 observations, a comparison of the

neutral hydrogen lines from Cygnus A, the Galactic Plane, the Sun, comet

266/P Christensen, and the clear sky were conducted. An analysis (Figure

23) of these spectra established a well-defined distinction between the

signals acquired during this investigation. Radio celestial sources such as

Cygnus A, for example, illustrate a strong increase and decrease of dB as

the radio signal drifted into and of out the lobe of the telescope. When

compared to the spectra from comet 266/P, there is a clear (but weaker)

similarity between the spectra of the comet and Cygnus A. Spectra of the

Galactic Plane, the Sun, and clear skies, however, presented no similarities

when compared to the comet. We conclude, therefore, that the neutral

hydrogen signal acquired during observations of 266/P Christensen were

not from a known celestial source and, more importantly, were emitted by

the comet.

Cygnus A Galactic Plane The Sun

so7

]

Gain in dB oe

Gain in dB

2 gdpurs

Gain in dB

= gp utrsso

“

Time in Seconds Time in Minutes Time in Minutes

= 0 10 20

Time in Seconds Time in Minutes

Comet266/P Christensen Clear Sky after Comet Transit at Wow! Signal Coordinates

Figure 23: A Comparison of Neutral Hydrogen Observations

Conclusions

In 2016, we proposed a hypothesis arguing that a comet and/or its

hydrogen cloud was a strong candidate for the source of the “Wow!” signal.

From 27 November 2016 to 24 February 2017, we conducted 200

observations in the radio spectrum to validate the hypothesis. This

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investigation discovered that comets 266/P Christensen, P/2013 EW90

(Tenagra), P/2016 J1-A (PANSTARRS) and 237P/LINEAR emitted radio

waves at 1420 MHz. Additionally, the data collected during this

investigation demonstrated there is a well-defined distinction between radio

signals emitting from known celestial sources and comets, including 266/P

Christensen. After 25 observations of 266P Christensen, we are confident

the radio telescope detected HI that outgassed from the comet.

We speculate that the strength of the original signal in 1977 would

have been accounted for the size of the Big Ear Radio Telescope (when

compared to Site B) and/or the potential loss of mass from comet 266/P

Christensen, which would have been considerably larger 40 years ago.

Additionally, while neutral hydrogen clouds have been observed around

other comets (mostly from Lyman alpha spectra), determining the physical

extent and density of the clouds around comets 266/P Christensen, P/2013

EW90 (Tenagra), P/2016 JI-A (PANSTARRS) and 237P/LINEAR was not

the purpose of this investigation. In 2019, the Center for Planetary Science

will conduct further observations of 266/P Christensen to measure the

amplitude, strength and brightness of the comet’s Lyman alpha spectra. In

an effort to dismiss the source of the radio signal as emitting from 266/P

Christensen, we repositioned the telescope away from the comet and

conducting clear sky observations when the comet was not near the

coordinates of the “Wow!” signal. During these clear sky observations, we

detected no significant radio signal at 1420 MHz. This investigation,

therefore, has concluded cometary spectra are observable at 1420 MHz and

that the 1977 “Wow” Signal was natural phenomena from a Solar System

body.

Bio

Antonio Paris is a Professor of Astronomy at St. Petersburg College, FL;

the Chief Scientist at the Center for Planetary Science; and the Director of

Planetarium and Space Programs at the Museum of Science and Industry in

Tampa, FL. In 2016, in this Journal, he published Hydrogen Clouds from

Comets 266/P. Christensen and P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs) are Candidates for the

Source of the 1977 “Wow!” Signal — the hypothesis that led to this

investigation. He is a member of the American Astronomical Society and is

currently conducting research on gamma-ray pulsars, neutron stars and

black holes.

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Acknowledgments

This investigation could not have been completed without the hard work and

dedication from Dennis Farr, Chief Technician at the Center for Planetary

Science; Ryan Robertson, an undergraduate planetary science student at

American Public University; Jeffrey Lichtman and Carl Lyster from Radio

Astronomy Supplies; and Edward Geiger, Consulting Telescope Engineer

during this investigation.

References

1. Shostak, Seth. /nterstellar Signal from the 70s Continues to Puzzle Researchers.

SETI (02 Dec. 2002). Accessed on 01 Oct. 2015.

<http://archive.seti.org/epo/news/features/interstellar-signal-from-the-70s.php>.

2. Ehman, Jerry R. Wow! Signal - 30th Anniversary Report. North American

Astrophysical Observatory (28 May 2010). Accessed on 14 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.bigear.org/Wow30th/wow30th.htm>.

3. The International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center. Accessed on 21 Nov.

2015. <http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/>. Database: MPEC 2009-A03 P/2008 Y2

(Gibbs); MPEC 2008-U27 266P/Christensen.

4. SpectraCyber I/II™ 1420 MHz Hydrogen Line Spectrometer. Accessed on 27 Dec.

2016. <https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-

instant&ion=1&espv=2&1e=UTF-8#q=spectracyber+pdf>.

5. SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Accessed on 01 Dec. 2016. <http://simbad.u-

strasbg. fr/simbad/sim-basic? Ident=Cygnus+A &submit=SIMBAD-+search>.

6. Astrophysical Journal, "\dentification of the Radio Sources in Cassiopeia (A),

Cygnus A, and Puppis A", Baade, W.; Minkowski, R., vol. 119, p.206, January

1954. Accessed on 02 Dec. 2016. <http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-

larticle_query?1954ApJ...119..206B&data_type=PDF HIGH&whole pap

er=Y ES&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf>.

7. Dickey, J. M.; Lockman, F. J. (1990). "H I in the Galaxy". Annual Review of

Astronomy and Astrophysics. 28: 215-259. Accessed on 12 Jan. 2017. <

http://www.annualreviews.org/do1/10.1146/annurev.aa.28.090190.001243>.

8. Hydrogen Line Radio Astronomy, Moonbounce Communications and Radio

Astronomy at KSSO. Accessed on 03 Jan, 2017.

<http://www.k5so.com/Radio_ astronomy HI line.html>.

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En Hedu’anna

Sethanne Howard

USNO, retired

Abstract

This is the story of the first scientist in human history; a women who was called

the Shakespeare of the ancient world and who gave us the calendars used to

date religious holidays.

Introduction

MANY PEOPLE, when asked to name an early scientist who is a woman, say

Hypatia (Hy-pa-ti'-a). She lived in Alexandria, Egypt around 400 CE.

Actually they are about 2700 years too late! Women have been active in

science since the beginning of written history. So cast your thoughts

backward in time to 4300 years ago — the time of Sumer (an ancient

civilization in southern Mesopotamia — modern Iraq). Writing had not been

around for very long (developed c. 3000 BCE).

En Hedu’anna was the chief astronomer priestess of the ancient city

of Ur. She lived c. 2300 BCE. This is her story, the first scientist in ancient

history whose name we know and writings we have. Note that she was not

called a ‘scientist’. That term did not come into general use until the mid-

19"" century. So who we call a scientist today was earlier known as an

astronomer/mathematician, philosopher, or priestess. Those who were

‘scientists’ were also part of the religious structure. Religion was deeply

embedded in the culture.

Science has been the business of women ever since the time of En

Hedu’anna. Certainly, though, women (and men) were questioners and

thinkers long before that. Most myths, religions, and history place the

beginnings of agriculture, laws, civilization, mathematics, calendars, time

keeping, and medicine into the hands of women. And the mythology is so

very rich. The stories form our common wealth. But whether it was the

Goddess of Wisdom or War or Love she was lost to the historical record yet

kept strong in the dreams and myths of all peoples.

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pH)

Ur and Sumer

Ur was situated south of Bagdad (in modern day Iraq), just north of

where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers split from each other. The plains in

southern Mesopotamia regularly flooded from the Euphrates and the Tigris

rivers, which may have given rise to the Mesopotamian and biblical great

flood stories. The word Mesopotamia means between the rivers (the rivers

meaning the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers). Figure 1 illustrates several

ancient cities in Mesopotamia.

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@ Utub

@ Rapiqum S @ Der

Si r

ippar® @Akshak

@ Kutha

® Kid-nun

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@ Marad

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®Pazurish-Dagan

Ilsin® ® Kissura

Shurruppak@ ® Adab sin

Umma ®@ a * &

irsu .

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Kutall

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: 50 100 150 .

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50 100

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Figure 1 — several ancient cities in Mesopotamia. By the end of the third millennium 90%

of the people lived in these city states. Based on Wikipedia content that has been

reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Phirosiberia. Uploaded by Jan van

der Crabben, published on 26 April 2012 under the following license: Creative

Commons: Attribution-ShareA like.

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It might be said that history and science began in Sumer. Civilization

developed in the lands around and between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

which flow southeast into the Persian Gulf.

Despite the nearby rivers canal based irrigation was vital to

agriculture. The Tigris especially produced violent floods. The canals had

to be cleared frequently. The layout and clearing of the canals required

expert planning and engineering, while the division of the irrigated land, the

water, and the crops required political control. The timing of what canal

received water was critical to controlling the crop yield. One needed a

“clock” to control the water release to an irrigation canal. They used a water

clock. Figure 2 is an illustration of such a water clock.

Figure 2 — Persian water clock

A smooth bowl with a tiny hole in the bottom was placed in a platter of

water. The bowl would slowly fill with water. When full it was time to

change irrigation canals. Watching this was a critical job assigned to the

most senior and responsible people. The bowl had to be monitored all day

each day.

By 3000 BCE the Sumerians had formed temple-communities, in

which a class of priest/priestess-bureaucrats controlled the political and

economic life of the city. The common temple land was worked by all

members of the community, while the remaining land was divided among

Summer 2017

the citizens for their personal use at a rent of one third to one sixth of the

crop. Priestesses and temple administrators, however, held rent-free lands.

Rent (taxes) were paid in kind, usually cattle or sheep. For example, in one

year the city of Elba in northern Palestine received over 36,000 sheep in

taxes.

In its heyday Ur was a coastal city on the rim of the Euphrates and

the Persian Gulf. As the most important port on the Persian Gulf it was the

gateway to Mesopotamia. All imports via the sea with their accompanying

wealth had to pass through Ur. An increase in trade between Sumerian cities

and between Sumer and other, more distant regions led to the growth of a

merchant class. According to one estimate, Ur was the largest city in the

world from c. 2030 to 1980 BCE. The city covered over 1000 acres. Its

population was approximately 65,000. About that time houses in the city

were two-storied villas with 13 or 14 rooms with plastered interior walls.

Today the coastline has shifted and the archaeological ruins are well inland

(see Figure 3).

Figure 3 — archeological dig at Ur. The rm ress is visible in the distance.

_ Ur was one of the first real city states; as such it was one of the first,

if not the first, centralized bureaucracy. Much of what we know about the

people and culture of Mesopotamia comes from excavations in Ur.

Excavation of the site, especially the royal tombs, brought out incredible

wealth in gems, semi-precious stones, and precious metals. Artifacts from

the tombs were displayed on a worldwide tour that included Washington

DC.' A reconstructed and beautiful headdress of gold from the tomb of Lady

Pun-Abi is shown in Figure 4. The thin, delicate gold work is amazing.

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Figure 4 — reconstructed Sumerian headgear. By JMiall (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10648561

The record keeping necessary for taxes led to the development of

mathematics that included both a decimal notation and a base 60 system.

Our sixty-second minute, sixty-minute hour, and 360 degree circle started

with the Sumerians. The word ‘dozen’ means twelve, a fifth of 60. A dozen

might be one of the earliest mathematical groupings because there are about

twelve lunar cycles in a solar year. The Sumerians invented mathematical

tables and used quadratic equations. The math and astronomy established

by the Sumerians passed to the West through the Babylonians, the Persians,

the Greeks, and later the Arabs.

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Cuneiform

The Sumerian writing system is the oldest known. They used a reed

stylus to make triangular (wedge) shaped marks on the wet clay tablets.

These were very durable when baked. The tablets are not large; they are

typically less than 25 centimeters on a side — small enough to fit into a

pocket. Several thousand tablets have been found at Ur. The writing is

called cuneiform, from the Latin cuneus meaning ‘wedge.’ Both sides of the

tablet were used. Initially the Sumerians used writing primarily as a form of

record keeping. The most common cuneiform tablets recorded transactions

of daily life: tallies of cattle, sheep, and goats kept by herders for their

owners, production figures, and lists for taxes, accounts, and contracts — the

legalities we use today are not new. Figure 5 shows a clay tablet written

earlier by En Hedu’anna in praise of the goddess Inanna.

Figure 5 — The Exultation to Inanna Table, Nippur C 1750 BCE from the

University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia (Neg. #S8-80401

Cuneiform was difficult to learn. Temple schools were built to train

the young people. A sub-category of cuneiform writing includes a large

number of basic texts used to teach future generations of scribes. However

it is important to note that these ancient schools were not for everyone. The

temple schools were only for children of the privileged and wealthy. By

2500 BCE there were schools built for this purpose with female as well as

male scribes". Thus begins the idea that a learned person could read, write,

and cipher. It was not until the late 19" century that this changed. By the

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20" century a ‘learned’ person no longer could cipher. Math fell out of the

standard training.

The leaders (recognizable by the syllable ‘en’ preceding each

leader’s name) controlled the distribution of food and the irri gation systems;

thus, they ruled the city. Each city had a temple associated with the local

god. Let us call that local god ‘x’. Every citizen belonged to a temple, and

the whole of a temple community was referred to as the ‘people of god x’.

In the case of Ur ‘x’ was the goddess Innana. She was the goddess of love,

beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, combat, and political power.

En Hedu’anna

En Hedu’anna was the chief priestess of Ur. En Hedu’anna’s name

in cuneiform is shown in Figure 6. Note that her name begins with ‘en’

meaning ruler. Her name is Sumerian meaning ‘she who is the chief

ornament of heaven’.

rl gloss Be ot el

Figure 6 — Cuneiform for En Hedu’anna

Fortunately we have an abundance of Sumerian literature. There are

tablets filled with poetry. Some small tables were letters that came encased

in a slightly larger baked clay closed container, just as we use envelopes

today. Poetry was used for other communications (e.g., stories, religious

works, laws, regulations, songs). What we would deem ‘literature’

developed from these early letters and poems.

The most famous Sumerian epic, and the one that has survived in

the most nearly complete form, is the epic of Gilgamesh. The story of

Gilgamesh, who actually was king of the city-state of Uruk in

approximately 2700 BCE, is a moving story of the ruler’s deep sorrow at

the death of his friend and of his consequent search for immortality. We do

not know who wrote this great epic.

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The first poems whose author we do know are the wonderful poems

of En’Hedu’anna (c. 2300 BCE), the en-priestess of the city of Ur. Three

long poems to the goddess Inanna, three poems to the god Nanna, and forty-

two temple hymns" are found in translation today. I have seen the famous

tablet she wrote honoring the Goddess Inanna. It is kept in the tablet vaults

at the University Museum in Philadelphia. She was the only daughter of

Sargon of Akkad (2334 — 2290 BCE) who established her in this leading

position of the en-priestess. There are now excellent web sites describing

her life and works.

Sargon of Akkad

Sargon was the world’s first empire-builder, sending his troops as

far as Egypt and Ethiopia. He established a unified empire of Sumer and

Akkad and tried to end the hostilities among the city-states. Sargon’s rule

introduced a new level of political organization that was characterized by

an even more clear-cut separation between religious authority and secular

authority. To ensure his supremacy, Sargon created the first conscripted

army, a development related to the need to mobilize large numbers of

laborers for irrigation and flood-control works.

According to one cuneiform text he wrote that’:

“My mother was a high priestess, my father I knew not. The brothers

of my father loved the hills. My city is Azupiranu, which 1s situated

on the banks of the Euphrates. My high priestess mother conceived

me, in secret she bore me. She set me in a basket of rushes, with

bitumen she sealed my lid. She cast me into the river which rose

over me. The river bore me up and carried me to Akki, the drawer

of water. Akki, the drawer of water, took me as his son and reared

me. Akki, the drawer of water, appointed me as his gardener. While

I was a gardener, Ishtar granted me her love, and for four and ...

years I exercised kingship.”

This 1s an early echo of the story of Moses (c. 1300 BCE, one

thousand years later). Then other texts say’:

“{Sargon] had neither rival nor equal. His splendor, over the lands it

diffused. He crossed the sea in the east. In the eleventh year he

conquered the western land to its farthest point. He brought it under

one authority. He set up his statues there and ferried the west’s booty

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across on barges. He stationed his court officials at intervals of five

double hours” and ruled in unity the tribes of the lands. He marched

to Kazallu and turned Kazallu into a ruin heap, so that there was not

even a perch for a bird left.”

The Sumerian king list went on from there. The third dynasty was

established when the king Ur-Nammu came to power, ruling between c.

2047 BCE and 2030 BCE. During his rule, temples, including the great

ziggurat in Ur, were built, and agriculture was improved through better

irrigation. His code of laws, the Code of Ur-Nammu is one of the oldest such

documents known, preceding the Code of Hammurabi by 300 years.

The Work of En Hedu’anna

With our first name, En Hedu’anna, the tradition of women in

science and technology begins. We do not know her birth name. She was

the chief astronomer-priestess and as such managed the great temple

complex of her city of Ur. She controlled the extensive agricultural

enterprise surrounding the temple as well those activities scheduled around

the liturgical year. Although we do not have modern technical works from

her (and we would not expect to have them), we know that she was a

learned, diversely talented woman of power. And we have her poems. She

used her creative talents in the written word, spreading her ideas and beliefs.

Her poetry forms the first written form of a religious belief system. She

codified and centralized religion, so that all might share the same belief

system. Instead of each city having its own separate god, the cities shared a

structured hegemony. She has been called the Shakespeare of the ancient

world because her works were studied and recited for more than 500 years

after her death”.

Vill

Ls)

The historian Paul Kriwaczek writes

“Her compositions, .... , remained models of petitionary prayer .... Through

the Babylonians, they influenced and inspired the prayers and psalms of the

Hebrew Bible and the Homeric hymns of Greece. Through them, .... , faint

echoes can even be heard in the hymnody of the early Christian church.”

One of her hymns, number eight, contains an interesting clue. The

poem has the following lines in it:

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The true woman who possesses exceeding wisdom,

She consults a tablet of lapis lazuli

She gives advice to all lands...

She measures off the heavens,

She places the measuring-cords on the earth

Her poem describes the work of a scientist and leader. I think of her as wise

(line 1). Lapis lazuli was very rare in Ur. Most was exported from beyond

the northern mountains (modern Afghanistan). Only the ruling parties could

afford such a tablet (line 2). Giving wide spread advice is the mark of a

leader (line 3). To measure off the heavens is to engage 1n astronomy (line

4). To measure the Earth is surveying as well as astronomy (line 5). These

are all technical subjects requiring great skill to accomplish.

There must have been some sort of calendar keeping (tracking the

Moon) intrinsic to her position. It is from the work of these early

astronomers that modern liturgical calendars developed. We date Easter,

Passover, and Ramadan using work derived from the ancient Sumerians.

They studied the sky to set up a calendar not just for religious events but

also for tracking the due dates for taxes. I strongly suspect that tracking the

dues dates for taxes was more important than tracking the due date for

religious events.

They used the Moon as a timekeeper as it cycled through its phases.

Each new Moon was announced by a group of priestesses called a synod.

Hence the lunar month that cycles through the phases (new Moon to new

Moon) 1s called a synodic month. The synodic month does not contain an

exact number of days. Instead it is approximately 29.531 days. Using this

lunar month they created a calendar based on the Moon. There are about

354 days in a lunar year (twelve cycles through the lunar phases). Because

a lunar calendar is tied to the phases of the Moon, it does not synchronize

with the seasons of the year. The seasons, on the other hand, cycle every

365.25 days as they move from summer to fall to winter to spring and back

to summer. So the seasonal year was not in track with the lunar year.

Tracking the two types of years meant that astronomy and math were

necessary to the community.

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Another of her poems describes her work

“in the gi-par the priestesses’ rooms

that princely shrine of cosmic order

they track the passage of the moon.”

The gi-par was where they lived and where they tracked the Moon to set the

calendar. It was a holy place often accompanied by a sacred garden.

There exists an alabaster disk (also in the University Museum in

Philadelphia) that shows her in a procession (see Figure 7). She appears in

full religious regalia, the third person from the right on this restored

alabaster disc 25.6 cm in diameter. En Hedu’anna is our first woman of

power and scholarship whose name we know, and the last in a long line of

unknown powerful women of the past who followed the stars and the cycles

of the Moon. For the next 500 years a daughter of the king was en-priestess

of Ur.

En hedu’anna was the first in the long line of scientists to give us

the beginnings of science and mathematics.

This early Shakespeare of Sumer was a lady whose thoughts and

writings lasted through millennia. She gave us so much, not the least of

which were calendars, math, and prayers.

Figure 7 Alabaster disk showing En’Hedu’anna

Courtesy University Museum

Summer 2017

Conclusion

It would be easy to say that En Hedu’anna was unique and toss her

aside. But she was not. There were many such en-priestesses, each a

powerful woman who controlled commerce and study. En Hedu’anna’s

daughter and granddaughter held that same position. Legend claims that

Queen Semiramis is the inventor of canals and bridges over rivers and the

first to build a tunnel under a river — the Euphrates — to found the city of

Babylon. The legend is probably based on Sammeramet who acted as regent

of Assyria from 810 — 805 BCE. There are also poets from this part of the

world — Inib-sari (c. 1790 — 1745 BCE) and Eristi-Aya (c. 1790 — 1745

BCE) who lived in Akkadia. They were daughters of the king of Mari (in

Syria), Zimri-Lin. He appointed his daughter, Kiru, mayor of a nearby town.

Around the time of En hedu’anna there were a few other early

scientists (one happens to be male); however, they are more shrouded in

myth than En hedu’anna. She stands out as one of our great scientists. She

certainly was not a woman scientist. That implies that the single word

‘scientist’ (without the accompanying gender) means male. Women have

shared the exciting world of science and technology with men from the very

beginning of written history. So we drop the identifying gender unless we

use it for both.

For more information on En’hedu’anna see the Web. The web site

http://4kyws.ua.edu for students contains a little information about her and

many others. The book The Hidden Giants (third edition) available from

Amazon contains a lot of material on hundreds of scientists who happened

to be women.

Washington Academy of Sciences

' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur

Amat-Mamu was a female scribe during the time of Hammurabi.

" Inanna, lady of largest heart, Betty De Shong Meador, University of Texas Press,

Austin, 2000

'v Paul Kriwaczek, Babylon, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2012.

Y ibid

“' A double hour was used during this time. The day was divided into two sections, each

six hours long, thus making the day twelve hours in duration.

“" Fryner-Kensky /n the Wake of the Goddesses, NY, The Free Press, 1992

“ Paul Kriwaczek, Babylon, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2012.

Bio

Dr. Sethanne Howard is an astrophysicist retired from the US Nautical

Almanac Office at the US Naval Observatory. Her avocation is the history

of women in science. Her website is 4kyws.ua.edu. The accompanying book

is The Hidden Giants available through Amazon.

Summer 2017

Washington Academy of Sciences

Remarks from the Outgoing President, Mike Coble

Dear Colleagues,

To our award winners and their special guests — congratulations! We are

excited to welcome you into the Washington Academy of Sciences. I would

like to thank our guest speaker for the banquet, Dr. Kate Dooley, for a

wonderful talk on the research that she performs at the National Gallery of

Art.

I would like to give a heartfelt thanks and acknowledgment to

Trideum Biosciences. Trideum has made a generous donation to the

Academy to cover the cost of the banquet for all our awardees and their

guest. We appreciate this generosity which was also provided at last year’s

banquet.

It has been an honor to serve as the President of the Washington

Academy of Sciences for the past year. I would like to especially thank all

my friends and colleagues on the Board of Managers for their assistance and

guidance throughout the year.

I would especially like to recognize our current VP of

Administration, Terry Longstreth. Terry stepped into this pivotal role for the

organization during a challenging time and has used his exceptional

organizational skills to improve the operations of the Academy.

I would also like to acknowledge the great work that Paul Arveson

has provided to the Academy over the last year. Last fall, Paul stepped up to

Summer 2017

become the VP of the Junior Academy and has done a wonderful job

connecting and mentoring future scientists in the D.C. region. Paul is always

on the lookout for judges of science fairs, so I am sure he would love to talk

to you if you are interested in helping!

Sethanne Howard continues to be not only a valuable resource for

the history of our Academy, but an outstanding Editor for the Journal of the

Washington Academy of Sciences. The Winter 2016 issue dedicated to the

late Dr. Katherine Gebbie was just as spectacular as Katherine herself.

Katherine was a fixture at our Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet and

served behind the scenes for the Academy. She will be missed.

Finally, I would like to introduce the new President and members of

the Board of Managers for the 2017-2018 term as confirmed from the

election and the Committee of Tellers: Sue Cross will be our next President;

Mina Izadjoo will be our next President-elect; Terry Longstreth will

continue to serve as VP of Admin; Paul Arveson will continue to serve as

the VP of the Junior Academy; Eugene Williams continues to serve as the

VP of the Affiliated Societies; our new VP of Membership is Ram Sriram —

we look forward to having you on the board next year. We will also have a

new Secretary, Anna Maria Berea. John Kaufhold has done an outstanding

job as our Secretary for the past few years, and we appreciate his service.

Sethanne Howard will continue to serve as the Editor of the Journal, and

Ron Hietala will continue to serve as our Treasurer. The members at large

who will fill out the remainder of the Board will include: Fr. Frank Haig,

Terrell Erickson, Michael Cohen, Meisam Izadjoo, Mary Sniekus, and

Kathy Brady. I will serve as the Immediate Past-President. I hope to see you

again soon!

Mike Coble

Washington Academy of Sciences

— =. rene Cc

Remarks of Incoming President, Sue Cross

The Washington Academy of Sciences for over a century has represented

science and scientific research with purity and integrity. The rostrum of past

and present members is a list of outstanding and dedicated scientists. Our

awardees this evening help us to continue the traditions of the academy. As

awardees, you have received a one year membership to the Washington

Academy of Sciences. We welcome you and hope you will work with us this

year and for years to come.

I am sure I will be able to do this job for the next year, because I am

surrounded by people who actually know what they are doing. They all have

my admiration and respect. I would like to thank Mike Coble (our President

for this past year) and Mina Izadjoo (our current President elect) for letting

me be on their team.

I will have Terry, Ron, Meissam, Sethanne, and Peg to answer my

questions and steer me in the right direction.

Some of our goals for the coming year include:

l Doing a better job communicating with all our members.

ps Expand the academy’s efforts to reach out to science students in

our high schools and colleges.

Summer 2017

3 To meet with representatives of our Affiliated Scientific

Societies.

4 Expand our marketing skills and reach out to the biomedical

fields.

5 Make sure we have a wonderful awards dinner next year for

outstanding scientists.

From the Academy members to you as award recipients, we extend our

congratulations. It is an honor to be part of this celebration.

Sue Cross

Washington Academy of Sciences

be)

2017 Awardees

James Filliben

Applied Mathematics

Hamid Gharavi

Computer Science

Summer 2017

Kalman Migler

Physical Sciences

Jeffrey Bullard

Engineering Sciences

Washington Academy of Sciences

Kevin McGrattan

Engineering

Guruprasad Madhavan

Krupsaw Award

Summer 2017

Dan Lozier

Mathematics and Computer Science

James Liddle

Physical Sciences

Washington Academy of Sciences

Laurie Liddle

Special Award for Excellence in Scientific Leadership

Jonathan Hardis

Special Award for Contribution in Science Policy

Summer 2017

Terry Longstreth

Certificate of Appreciation

All the Awardees

Washington Academy of Sciences

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Please fill in the blanks and send your application to the address above. We will

contact you as soon as your application has been reviewed by the Membership

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Summer 2017

10.

ale

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Include an abstract of 150-200 words.

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Submit papers as email attachments to the editor or to

wasjournal(@washacadsci.org .

Include the author’s name, affiliation, and contact information —

including postal address. Membership in an Academy-affiliated society

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Manuscripts are peer reviewed and become the property of the

Washington Academy of Sciences.

There are no page charges.

Manuscripts can be accepted by any of the Board of Discipline Editors.

Washington Academy of Sciences

Affiliated Institutions

National Institute for Standards & Technology (NIST)

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

The John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress

Potomac Overlook Regional Park

Koshland Science Museum

American Registry of Pathology

Living Oceans Foundation

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

Summer 2017

Delegates to the Washington Academy of Sciences

Representing Affiliated Scientific Societies

Acoustical Society of America, Washington Chapter

American/International Association of Dental Research

American Association of Physics Teachers, Chesapeake

Section

American Astronomical Society

American Fisheries Society

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration

American Meteorological Society

American Nuclear Society

American Phytopathological Society

American Society for Cybernetics

American Society for Microbiology

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

American Society of Plant Physiology

American Society of Plant Biologists, Mid-Atlantic

Anthropological Society of Washington

ASM International

Association for Women in Science

Association for Computing Machinery

Association for Science, Technology, and Innovation

Association of Information Technology Professionals

Biological Society of Washington

Botanical Society of Washington

Capital Area Food Protection Association

Chemical Society of Washington

District of Columbia Institute of Chemists

District of Columbia Psychology Association

Eastern Sociological Society

Electrochemical Society

Entomological Society of Washington

Geological Society of Washington

Historical Society of Washington DC

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

(continued on next page)

Shane Guon

J. Terrell Hoffeld

Carl Mungan.

Sethanne Howard

Vacant

James B. Hedrick

Vacant

Mahfuz Rahman

Stuart Umpleby

Vacant

Kaykham

Sysounthorn

Mark Holland

Kimberly Gallagher

Vacant

Toni Marechaux

Leslie Jimison

Hamilton

Shahnaz Kamberi

F. Douglas

Witherspoon

Vacant

Karen Reddon

Vacant

Alan Anderson

Vacant

Robert Kelly

Allen Norrbom

Jeff Plescia

Jurate Landwehr

Julie B. Koczela

Gerald Krueger

Washington Academy of Sciences

Delegates to the Washington Academy of Sciences

Representing Affiliated Scientific Societies

(continued from previous page)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Washington

Section

Institute of Food Technologies, Washington DC Section

Institute of Industrial Engineers, National Capital Chapter

International Association for Dental Research, American

Section

International Society for the Systems Sciences

International Society of Automation, Baltimore Washington

Section

Instrument Society of America

Marine Technology Society

Maryland Native Plant Society

Mathematical Association of America, Maryland-District of

Columbia- Virginia Section

Medical Society of the District of Columbia

National Capital Area Skeptics

National Capital Astronomers

National Geographic Society

Optical Society of America, National Capital Section

Pest Science Society of America

Philosophical Society of Washington

Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

Society of American Foresters, National Capital Society

Society of American Military Engineers, Washington DC

Post

Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Washington DC

Chapter

Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.,

Washington DC Section

Soil and Water Conservation Society, National Capital

Chapter

Technology Transfer Society, Washington Area Chapter

Virginia Native Plant Society, Potowmack Chapter

Washington DC Chapter of the Institute for Operations

Research and the Management Sciences (WINFORMS)

Washington Evolutionary Systems Society

Washington History of Science Club

Washington Paint Technology Group

Washington Society of Engineers

Washington Society for the History of Medicine

Washington Statistical Society

World Future Society, National Capital Region Chapter

Richard Hill

Taylor Wallace

Neal F. Schmeidler

Christopher Fox

Vacant

Richard

Sommerfield

Hank Hegner

Jake Sobin

Vacant

John Hamman

Julian Craig

Vacant

Jay H. Miller

Vacant

Jim Heaney

Vacant

Larry S. Millstein

Vacant

Marilyn Buford

Vacant

B. Lee Bray

Erika Larsen

Richard Leshuk

Alan Ford

Meagan Pitluck-

Schmitt

Vacant

Albert G. Gluckman

Vacant

Alvin Reiner

Alain Touwaide

Michael P. Cohen

Jim Honig