The Observer of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers

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THE OBSERVER OF THE TWIN CITY AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS

Volume 43, Number 7 July 2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1«Editor’s Choice: July Image – The Milky Way 2«President’s Note 3«Calendar of Celestial Events – July 2018 3«New & Renewing Members/Dues Blues/E-Mail List 4«This Month’s Phases of the Moon 4«This Month’s Solar Phenomena 4«TCAA Summer Potluck Picnic Reviewed 5«AstroBits – News from Around the TCAA 7«Mars at Opposition Highlights the July Sky 9«Profiles in Amateur Astronomy: Bryce Heiniger 10«A Son’s Note to His Dad for Father’s Day 10«TCAA Photo Gallery 13«TCAA Guide #8 Now Available 13«Mars at Opposition / Closest Approach 14«Education & Public Outreach for June 2018 14«Just How Bright are Astronomers? 14«Remaining Public Viewing Sessions for 2018 15«TCAA Calendar of Events for 2018 15«Messier Memories 16«HowTimeFlies 16«TCAA Treasurer’s Report as of June 29, 2018

The TCAA is an affiliate of the Astronomical League. For more information about the TCAA, be certain to visit our club website.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: IMAGE OF THE MONTH – THE MILKY WAY Taken by Tim Stone recently from Waynesville Observatory.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

PRESIDENT’S NOTE The OBSERVER is the monthly electronic newsletter of Twin Well, it seems we’ve gone from cool and City Amateur Astronomers, Inc., a cloudy starless nights to blazing hot and humid registered 501(c)(3) non-profit educational relatively clear nights, all in the last month. Our organization of amateur astronomers June Public Viewing Session was our first of the interested in studying astronomy and year with clear skies, and the public showed up sharing their hobby with the public. in force. I personally enjoyed setting up my 80mm refractor and giving a tour of the June TCAA OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS sky to several late-stayers. We looked at President, Director, & Property Manager Antares, and Albireo, to discuss star colors and Tim Stone 309-531-2401 temperatures. We followed Albireo with a view [email protected] of Mizar, a triple star system, and Epsilon Lyrae, TCAA President Tim Stone Vice President & Director/Membership Coord. the famous Double-Double. Each of the two Tom Willmitch 309-846-2423 doubles were nicely split, even with my little refractor. From there, we looked at [email protected] the Ring and Dumbbell nebulae, both examples of what will eventually happen to Antares. We then ventured to the outskirts of our galaxy with M13, and beyond to Treasurer & Director/Registered Agent Dave Osenga 309-287-0789 M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. It’s so much fun to introduce people to the heavens like [email protected] that, and to talk to them about the age of the light they’re seeing with their own eyes. If you haven’t been to a PVS recently, that’s what we do there, and I’m sure Secretary & Director/Historian/Editor Carl J. Wenning 309-830-4085 you’d enjoy it as much as the rest of us do! I hope you’ll join us, if you haven’t [email protected] already. Observing on these hot nights can certainly be more comfortable than long, Director/Technology Coordinator cold winter nights, but there are additional things to keep in mind. Aside from the Justin Meyer 630-649-0611 [email protected] potential for dew and the need for heaters to keep our optics clear, there’s the ever-present danger of mosquitoes, dehydration, and hyperthermia. According to Astronomical League Correspondent the McLean County Health Department, there are three mosquito-borne illnesses Robert Finnigan 309-846-9533 present in Illinois: West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and Chikungunya. West Nile can be [email protected] fatal, and the other two can be quite severe. In the case of Zika, there have been a Webmaster handful of cases reported in Illinois, but not (yet) any known cases of transmission Lee Green 309-454-7349 in this state. Nonetheless, with reported cases, it could already be out in the wild. [email protected] We all know how to protect ourselves against mosquito-borne illnesses: use DEET

Lighting Educ. & AL Observing Club Coordinator insect repellent, stay indoors in the hour after dusk, when mosquitos are most Lisa Wentzel unlisted number active, and – though it can be uncomfortable – wear long pants and long-sleeved [email protected] shirts to keep most of your skin covered. Keep moving to make landing on you

Publicist more difficult for mosquitoes, and when one bites, brush it away, don’t swat it. Rick Lasher 309-530-2678 Of course, when we are outside at night, it can still be hot, and the relative [email protected] humidity rises as the night air cools. This makes us much more likely to sweat, but much less likely to realize we are dehydrating. Keep a bottle of water with you, and The OBSERVER drink from it often. If you stop sweating on a night like that, but it hasn’t really Carl J. Wenning, Editor in Chief gotten any cooler, that means you’re probably dehydrating and you need to drink Submission deadline two days before water! If you find yourself hot to the point of discomfort, it might be time to cool the end of each month. down. While finding that one last globular might seem like it’s worth the extra minutes outside, it might just be time to wrap it up and go in to lower your core MEMBERSHIP DUES temperature. Remember that you may have to load up all your gear, and that could Individual Adult/Family $40 be strenuous and make you even hotter. Leave yourself some time to get packed Full-time Student/Senior $25 up, and get in the car with the air conditioning, or go back in the house. (Senior status equals ages 60+) Hyperthermia can be devastating. Don’t mess around with it!

To join, send your name, contact info and Summer is a great time to observe the heavens. Let’s do it, and let’s do it dues payment to Dave Osenga, TCAA safely!

Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., Normal, IL Hope to see you soon. 61761-1471. Tim Stone, President

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

ALENDAR OF ELESTIAL VENTS ULY EW ENEWING EMBERS C C E – J 2018 N & R M

The following individuals have paid dues for new or MORNING PLANETS (7/15): Mars, Uranus, & Neptune th renewed memberships as of June 29 , 2018. (Others EVENING PLANETS (7/15): Mercury, Venus, Jupiter & Saturn. who paid after that date will appear in the August 2018 issue of The OBSERVER.) The following table gives the date and time (24-hour clock) of important astronomical events for this month. All times are Central Daylight Time. Tom Willmitch

Day Time Event

DUES BLUES 04 00:39 Mercury 0.6°S of Beehive 06 02:51 LAST QUARTER MOON If you have received a “your dues are due” 06 12 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01670 AU statement along with the email that brought you this 09 18:34 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus issue of The OBSERVER, please remit your dues to Mr. Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., 10 04:30 Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon Normal, IL 61761-1471. Dues are currently $25 for 12 00 Mercury at GEE, 26.4° from sun seniors (60 years of age and over) and $40 regular. 12 21:48 NEW MOON 12 22:01 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.337 SUBSCRIBING TO THE TCAA LISTSERV 13 03:28 Moon at Perigee: 357432 km By subscribing to a group’s mailing list, you will 13 21:50 Moon at Ascending Node receive email messages from the group though you 14 17:04 Mercury 2.2°S of Moon won’t have access to the group’s web features (like 15 11:14 Regulus 1.7°S of Moon photos, files, links, polls, calendar, etc.) unless members 15 22:31 Venus 1.6°S of Moon activate it later. The club has an open email listserv. It is 19 14:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON known as the TCAA YahooGroups listserv. It will be used 20 05 Mercury at Aphelion to share announcements and reminders about astronomical and club events. To join this main listserv, 20 18:57 Jupiter 4.4°S of Moon you must do the following: 24 11:49 Mercury 1.2°S of Regulus

25 01:10 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon 1. Subscribe: Send a blank email to TCAA- 27 00:44 Moon at Apogee: 406223 km [email protected] Note: You’ll be sent a 27 01 Mars at Opposition confirmation email from the group. Reply to the 27 15:20 FULL MOON confirmation email to activate your subscription. 27 15:22 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.609 2. Unsubscribe: [email protected] 3. To post a message: [email protected] 27 17:40 Moon at Descending Node

28 04 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower

http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/astrocal/astrocal2018cst.html

EVENING SKY MAP Click on the icon found here to access a current evening sky map along with a more detailed celestial events calendar.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

THIS MONTH’S PHASES OF THE MOON

Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Friday, July 6 Thursday, July 12 Thursday, July 19 Friday, July 27

All moon phase dates are Central Daylight Time. Additional moon phases for the 2018 calendar year (Central Time) can be found by clicking here. Images provided by J. K. Howell of the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society & used with permission. THIS MONTH’S SOLAR PHENOMENA

In the table below, you will find times of sunrise and sunset along with rising and setting azimuths, length of day including difference from previous day, start and end times of astronomical twilight, and the time of solar noon along with the elevation of the midday sun. These data come from https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/bloomington

2018 Sunrise/Sunset Day Length Astronomical Twilight Solar Noon July Sunrise Sunset Length Difference Start End Time 1 5:29 AM (58°) 8:30 PM (302°) 15:00:49 -0:35 3:25 AM 10:34 PM 12:59 PM (72.6°)

11 5:35 AM (60°) 8:27 PM (300°) 14:51:46 -1:08 3:34 AM 10:27 PM 1:01 PM (71.6°) 21 5:43 AM (62°) 8:20 PM (298°) 14:37:38 -1:36 3:47 AM 10:16 PM 1:02 PM (69.9°)

TCAA SUMMER POTLUCK PICNIC REVIEWED

The TCAA’s traditional summer picnic was hosted by Cheryl and Bob Finnigan at their beautiful home in rural Lexington on Saturday, June 2nd. Members began arriving on site at around 4:30 PM and stayed until after 8:00 PM. A potluck meal was shared beginning at around 6 PM and featured entrées of extra-crispy fried chicken provide by both the Finnigans and Wentzels, along a large tray of ham. Members brought a variety of dishes and even some drinks to share. All who attended had a wonderful time. There was the noise of joyous conversations throughout the afternoon and evening. It’s clear that we need to hold social events much more frequently than we do at the current time. (Keep an eye open for such socials in the future.) In attendance were Cheryl & Bob Finnigan; Lisa, Sally, & Dick Wentzel; Vivian & Chuck Hoette; Carolyn & Carl Wenning; Bob Hoy (along with two grandchildren); Tim Stone; Tom Willmitch; and Justin Meyer.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

ASTROBITS – NEWS FROM AROUND THE TCAA

ó Daniel & Peter Kates joined Carl Wenning at SGO on the evening of June 3rd for training on the club’s newly-acquired CPC 11” telescope. After a brief orientation, they were able to find several celestial objects in the subsequent 45 minutes. After they left and during the following hour, Carl was able to view about two dozen Messier and NCG objects. ó Also on the evening of June 3rd, Carl was able to “sync” PSO’s 12” Meade telescope with the sky. The mount now parks properly and can successfully find celestial objects from that position. The only thing that remains is to polar align the telescope and remove orthogonality error. Regardless, the telescope is currently doing an excellent job of tracking objects. ó On June 5th Lisa Wentzel pointed out that the TCAA website was not visible on the Internet. The domain name, once maintained by former member Mike Rogers, had expired. Despite repeated efforts over 6 years to get Mike to turn over maintenance of the domain name to the club, he would not do so, and he let it lapse without informing the club. Fortunately, quick-thinking TCAA webmaster Lee Green contacted the domain name registrar and was able to get us up and running for the next year. The potential now exists for changing our domain name several months from now; stay tuned for details. Thanks to Lee for preserving the TCAA from all the evils that can occur when a domain name expires! The following day, Mike contacted Lee with the note that he would be turning control of the domain name over to Lee. Transfer was accomplished on June 14th. ó Dave Tandy of AG Optical wrote Bob Finnigan on June 7th with the following information: “I spoke to Terry and he has the secondary mirror finished and the 24” primary fully polished. He plans to start figuring on the primary mirror today and it will take 3 to 4 weeks to complete that process and get the mirror coated. I am thinking the optics should be heading my way in the second half of July. I have all of the parts ready for the mirrors when they arrive.” A day later, Terry wrote again, “Terry plans to start figuring on the primary mirror today and it will take 3 to 4 weeks to complete that process and get the mirror coated. I am thinking the optics should be heading my way in the second half of July.” After the optics are assembled telescope tube assembly, it along with the mount will be ready for shipping to our site. Hopefully we will have the 24” set up and running it is new 12’ dome which should arrive on site in just a few weeks. ó Carl Wenning moved the 10” Odyssey telescope (on a Dobson mount) donated by the family of Lenore Trainer to Waynesville Observatory. It is now available for member use in the storage shed. Though it has not been cleaned or recollimated recently, it is in serviceable condition. A complete set of eyepieces is stored there along with the telescope. ó Bryce & Mark Heiniger were joined by Carl Wenning at WO for the club’s Member Viewing Session on June 9th. The sky cleared almost as if by magic moments before they arrived. Bryce, who has now observed more than 90 Messier objects, continued his viewing of galaxies in the Virgo-Coma region. Carl tried out the 10” Odyssey telescope he made moved there earlier in the day and described its performance as “satisfactory.” Telescope and its optics need to be thoroughly cleaned, and its Telrad put back into operation and permanently affixed to the top of the optical tube assembly. Three days later, Bryce, Mark, & Carl met up at SGNC to clean the optics and check the collimation of Bryce’s telescope. Carl also qualified them with the use of the CPC 11” telescope now housed at SGO and gave them their “sub master” key. Despite the poor skies, Bryce later used his telescope to view Jupiter and Venus and conducted some star tests that showed his telescope to be operating properly. Bryce & Mark with their 8” Dobsonian ó On June 13th, Wendy & Bryce Heiniger and Carl Wenning attended the debut of the first program to be presented to the public since extensive remodeling started at the ISU Planetarium this past December. They saw the premier of Out There – The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds and heard a sky lecture, both presented by TCAA member and ISU Planetarium Director Tom Willmitch. Our club members all remained behind to learn more about this beautifully remodeled facility. By all accounts, everyone had a wonderful time. Expect for the club to receive an invitation in the not too distant future for a special showing. ó Carl Wenning spend Wednesday evening, June 13th, with recently installed CPC 11” under the SGO dome. In addition to replacing burned out red light bulbs in the stairwell, Carl viewed dozens of Messier and NGC objects. Neither, of course, was his main goal for visiting. What was accomplished earlier was the development of guidelines for the operation of this

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

highly accurate and easy-to-use “goto” telescope. Look for set of steps to be followed to use this device later in this issue of the newsletter. ó The Sangamon Astronomical Society is pleased to announce the 2018 Illinois Dark Skies Star Party. It will be held October 4, 5, and 6 at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area. This event is observer oriented, and features dark skies, great facilities, and fantastic food. Registration is now open. Check it out at http://www.sas-sky.org/. ó TCAA Guide #2 – Membership & Benefits – has been updated. It includes information about our recently reconfigured SGNC observatories as well as information about Waynesville. Download at http://tcaa.us/TCAAGuides.aspx ó A set of Guidelines for Using SGO’s CPC 11” Telescope have been printed and attached to this telescope’s mount at SGO. The Meade 12” was removed recently, and the recently donated 11” replaced it. The 11” is extremely user friendly, and an easy learn. If any of our keyholders would like to learn how to use this instrument, please contact Carl Wenning at [email protected]. The training session for keyholders should take no more than about 15 minutes. After that, keyholders can observe the night away. Never has it been easier for TCAA members to gain access to the night sky. This is SO MUCH BETTER than a loaner telescope! ó Rick Lasher, Bob Finnigan, Tim Stone, and late-comer Carl Wenning met over breakfast on June 16th to talk about an outreach program that Rick first proposed. It was agreed that Rick would write up a summary of the discussion and that Carl would outline an observing session program for the first such event in August. The program will not have as its intention membership recruitment but public service with a fee. Regardless, the team feels that increased membership will be a natural consequence of the program. The proposal will be addressed by the Board at its July 24th meeting. Pursuant to holding another Introduction to Amateur Astronomy course – perhaps in November – Carl has updated TCAA Guide #1 to take into account recent changes at SGO. ó Two TCAAers were named in the most recent issue of the AL’s REFLECTOR magazine, Jamey Jenkins and Lisa Wentzel. Jamey’s article Adventures of a Starlight Detective did the TCAA most proud. Lisa was recognized for completion of the Caldwell Observing Program - Silver (Certificate No. 245). Congratulations to both on their accomplishments! ó Thus far, five individuals have signed up to go on the October 3-8 trip to Iceland to view auroras and see this wondrous volcanic landscape. Two are TCAAers – Lisa Wentzel and Carl Wenning. The other three are friends of Lisa and Carl, but not amateur astronomers. Lisa did a wonderful job making arrangements, and the trip will cost only $1,268 per person - including flights, hotel accommodations, and tours. Contact either Lisa or Carl if you are interested in participating. ó Five more members have been trained in the use of the SGO telescope. On June 18th, Scott & Emily Wade, Mark & Nataya Boulware, and Vivian Hoette joined Carl Wenning for a training and viewing session that ran for 75 minutes starting at 9:30 PM. The group observed about two dozen M-objects, planets, and moon. This brings to seven the number who have been checked out on the CPC 11” telescope in recent weeks. ó The Summer 2018 issue of NCRAL’s Northern Lights newsletter was released on the solstice, June 21st. If you have not reviewed this copy yet, be certain that you do so. There is a large number of things happening in NCRAL since Carl Wenning was elected chair of the Region during the spring of 2017, and you really ought to know about them. In addition to the NCRAL Award program (we really should nominate someone from the TCAA for 2019), there is a new newsletter editor award, and information about an important survey – one of which needs your input. Coming this autumn will be two mini grants for which clubs, societies, and associations affiliated with NCRAL may apply. You may download current and back issues of Northern Lights through the NCRAL website: https://ncral.wordpress.com/ ó Bob Finnigan has been informed that we can expect shipment of the 24” dome by around July 1st, with delivery 10-15 days after that. We anticipate the arrival of the 24” telescope by late summer. ó The Paramount under the PSO PlaneWave 17” was misfunctioning recently. On June 26th, Property Manager Tim Stone noted, “The 17-inch has been remounted on the working Paramount that had been with the 16” [at Waynesville Observatory]. The camera [at SGO] is working. We’re waiting for the right length adapter to be able to acquire focus. It should be here in a couple of days. The power for the camera is a very shoddy system. It’s going to take some work to keep it stable. As is, it can easily lose power. It simply won’t work with a moving telescope. That’s my next task. Once we have focus, we will need to do a polar align, and a pointing model. Those are non-fun processes, but they have to be done. Fortunately, only once.” Thanks, Tim, Tom Justin Meyer, and Bob Finnigan for their recent work with this telescope. According to Bob, a new cable has been ordered for the malfunctioning Paramount now located at WO. The move of the 7-year-old Paramount to WO will allow for cleaning as well as a lube job according to Tim. ó If you are not subscribed to the TCAA listserv (see page 3), you are missing lots of interesting posts placed there for the purpose of visual observation. The Mars collage found later in this issue is only one example. ó Have you read the Summer 2018 issue of Northern Lights, the NCRAL newsletter? If not, retrieve it from the NCRAL website at https://ncral.wordpress.com/newsletter-archive/ There are important matters such as surveys. Don’t miss it!

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

ARS AT PPOSITION IGHLIGHTS THE ULY KY M O H J S ~ by Jeffrey L. Hunt ~

This chart shows the night sky on MarsAt the beginning of Nautical Twilight,’ opposition night, 118 minutesJuly 27, 2018, at 10 p.m. CDT. the early evening. LookThe Jupiter for Mercury-to-Mars distance is over 80°. during twilight, then before sunrise, July opens with the waning gibbous moon wait for Mars to clear the southeast horizon. Here are the (17.6 days, 91% illuminated) in the south-southwest. Mars highlights for the first half of the month: (m=-2.2) is 25° up in the south-southwest, 5.8° below the moon. At the same time, Saturn (m=0.0) is 10° up in the • July 1: As the sky darkens, Venus (m=-4.1) is 9° to the southwest. With both planets near their oppositions, they lower right of Regulus (α Leo, m=1.3). Mars (m=-2.2) rises appear in the southeastern sky during the evening and move 117 minutes after sunset this evening. The waning gibbous westward during the night. During the early evening, four moon (18.4 days old, 86% illuminated) is 15° to the left of bright planets are arched across the sky, with the trio of the planet. bright outer planets in retrograde. One hour after sunset, • July 2: The Venus-Mercury gap is 16.6°. Mercury sets 90 brilliant Venus (m=-4.1) stands 14° up in the west. Venus is minutes after sunset, its maximum setting interval after 9° to the lower right of Regulus (α Leo, m=1.3). Watch Venus sunset for this apparition. The Venus-Regulus gap is 8° this close in and pass Regulus during the first 9 days of the month. Through a telescope, Venus has an evening gibbous evening. Watch Venus close the separation during the phase, 70% illuminated and about 16” in diameter. During next several evenings: 07/03, 6.9°; 07/04, 5.7°; 07/05, the month, Venus grows nearly 30% in apparent size. At this 4.7°; 07/06, 3.6°; 07/07, 2.6°; 07/08, 1.5°. hour, dimmer Mercury (m=0.0) is 4° up in the west- • July 4: The Venus-Mercury gap is 16.2°. Mercury’s northwest, setting 89 minutes after sunset. Use binoculars to brightness is fading fast as it approaches its greatest locate it. This speedy world approaches its greatest elongation. This evening its apparent magnitude is 0.2, but elongation during the first half of the month. Meanwhile, it is appearing in bright twilight. bright Jupiter (m=-2.3), 82° to the upper left of Venus, is 33° • July 6: The moon is at its Last Quarter phase at 2:51 a.m. up in the south. This giant planet is 2° west of Zubenelgenubi CDT. Earth is at aphelion 94.5 million miles from the sun at (α Lib, m=2.8). Saturn, just past its opposition and 11:46 a.m. CDT. retrograding above the Teapot of Sagittarius, is 13° up in the • : Venus is closest to Regulus this evening, 59’. The southeast, 52° to the lower left of Jupiter. Mars, racing July 9 toward its opposition later in the month, rises in the planet appears to the upper right of the star. Watch the southeast 117 minutes after sunset. The July 2018 issue of gap widen during the next several evenings as Venus Sky & Telescope magazine has an excellent article about moves away and toward Spica (α Vir, m=1.0). Venus has a what to see on Mars through a telescope. The Red Planet, conjunction with Regulus in about 13 months when they retrograding in Capricornus, appears 34° to the lower left of are near their solar conjunctions, both hiding in bright Saturn. Start looking for the five naked eye planets during sunlight. On October 3, 2020, Venus, 22° up in the Copyright © 2018 TCAA 7 All rights reserved.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

morning sky at 90 minutes before sunrise, appears 33’ 7.7° and growing each day. Check out the deep sky objects below the star. On the previous morning, Venus is 36’ near Saturn. The globular star cluster M22 (NGC 6656, above Regulus. m=6, 20’) is 3.3° to Saturn’s lower left. In his Celestial • July 12: Mercury is at its greatest elongation, 26.4° east of Handbook, Robert Burnham wrote, “In total light, M22 the sun at 12:29 a.m. CDT. Because the ecliptic has a probably ranks in third place among all known globulars in shallow angle, Mercury is only 13° above the horizon at the heavens; it is exceeded only by Omega Centauri and sunset. The Venus-Mercury gap is 16.4°. Venus is now 3.4° 47 Tucanae, while the great M13 holds fourth place” (pp. past Regulus. The gap grows about 1° each evening. The 1597-1598). M22 would appear more spectacular in our moon is at its New phase, 9:48 p.m. CDT. telescopes if it were placed at more northerly declinations, • July 13: After twilight ends, look for the spectacular but its notoriety is limited for mid-northern latitude globular cluster M13 (NGC 6205, m=6, 23’ in diameter) observers because it is nearly 60° south of M13. At the high in the sky near the meridian. The cluster appears two- meridian, M22 is only 25° above the southern horizon. thirds of the way from Zeta Herculis (ζ Her, m =2.9) to Eta Another smaller globular cluster, M28 (NGC 6626, m=7, Herculis (η Her, m=3.5) on the west side of the Keystone 15’), is 2.9° to the right of M22, 2.7° to the lower left of of Hercules. Along with Zeta Herculis and Eta Herculis, the Saturn, and 1° to the upper right of Kaus Borealis (λ Sag, asterism is completed by Pi Herculis (π Her, m=3.2) and m=2.8). The Lagoon Nebula (M8, NGC 6523) is 4.7° to Epsilon Herculis (ε Her, m=3.9). If you have an equatorially Saturn’s right. The Trifid Nebula (M20, NGC 6514) is 1.2° mounted telescope, point it at either Zeta or Eta. Then above M8. The Omega Nebula (M17, NGC 6618) is 6.3° to move it either north or south to locate the cluster. You’ll Saturn’s upper left. get fine views of the cluster from 30x per inch of aperture • July 17: Jupiter’s retrograde ends 2° west of Zuben- to 60x per inch. elgenubi. Watch Jupiter move eastward toward the star • July 14: Not long after sunset look for the waxing crescent during the next month. The waxing crescent moon (5, moon (2, 6%) 2.1° to the left of Mercury with binoculars. 32%) is 24.8° to the upper left of Venus. If you’ve not Mars (m=-2.6) passes 1.1° north of Psi Capricorni (ψ Cap, looked for all five naked eye planets, start looking for m=4.1). Mercury (m=0.7), 30 minutes after sunset with binoculars. • July 15: Venus (m=-4.1) passes 1° to the upper right of Rho • July 18: The waxing crescent moon (6, 43%) is 9.2° to the Leonis (ρ Leo, m=3.8). The waxing crescent moon (3, 13%) upper right of Spica. During the next several nights, start is between Venus and Regulus, 1.5° to the lower right of looking for some Perseid meteors before the moon Venus and 5.1° to the upper left of Regulus. approaches its full phase, after midnight, and before morning twilight begins. More about the meteor shower At mid-month, Venus (m=-4.1) continues to dominate next month. the evening sky with its brilliance. At 65 minutes after • July 19: The moon is at its First Quarter phase, 2:52 p.m. sunset, Venus is 11° up in the west, setting about an hour CDT. This evening the moon is 13.3° to the right of Jupiter. later. Venus is now 6.5° to the upper left of Regulus. th Through a telescope, Venus displays an evening gibbous • July 20: Today is the 49 anniversary of Apollo 11’s nd phase that is 65% illuminated and 17.5” across. On July 15, historic moon landing. This date also marks the 42 the waxing crescent moon (3, 13%) is 1.5° to the lower right anniversary of the Viking 1 landing on Mars. The waxing of Venus. Mercury (m=0.6), now past greatest elongation gibbous moon (8, 63%) is 3.5° above Jupiter this evening. and fading quickly into the sun’s glare, sets 71 minutes after • July 22: The waxing gibbous moon (10, 81%) is 8.4° above sunset near the time of Nautical Twilight (sun’s altitude is - Antares (α Sco, m=1.0). 12°). Use binoculars to catch it in bright twilight. Jupiter (m=- • July 23: Even though the moon is bright, look at Graffias (β 2.2), near Zubenelgenubi, is 30° up in the south-southwest. Sco, m=2.5) through a telescope. It is a double star. Look Saturn (m=0.1), 19° up in the south-southeast, is 51° to the closely at the contrasting star colors. What colors do they lower left of Jupiter. Mars (m=-2.6), the second brightest appear to you? Some observers report that one of them is “star” and rising 65 minutes after sunset, is approaching its green. perihelic opposition. It is 18° up in the southwest 2 hours • before sunrise. Here are the highlights for the second half of July 24: This evening the waxing gibbous moon (12, 94%) the month: is 1.9° to the upper right of Saturn. • July 27: Mars (m=-2.8) is at opposition. Its angular size is • July 16: The waxing crescent moon (4, 22%) is 11.9° to the 24.3”. The Full Moon is 7° to the upper left of Mars. The upper left of Venus (m=-4.2). The Venus-Regulus gap is moon reaches its Full phase, 3:20 p.m. CDT. Mercury

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

(m=1.9) sets at Civil Twilight (sun’s altitude is -6°) 32 Venus’ apparent size is slightly smaller than Mars (m=-2.8), minutes after sunset. which bookends the planet parade; Mars is 7° up in the • July 31: Earth and Mars are closest (closest approach), southeast. Mars retrogrades until August 27. It is 30° to the 35.7 million miles away. lower left of Saturn (m=0.2), 23° up in the south-southeast, above the Teapot of Sagittarius. It retrogrades until The month ends with four bright planets lined up across September 6. This ringed wonder is 49° to the left of Jupiter the early evening sky. At Nautical Twilight (sun’s altitude is - (m=-2.1). Jupiter is 26° up in the southwest, 1.5° to the right 12°, 70 minutes after sunset), brilliant Venus (m=-4.3) is 9° of Zubenelgenubi. Watch this giant world narrow the gap to up in the west. Through a telescope, Venus displays an the star and pass it next month. Jupiter is 50° to the left of evening gibbous phase, 58% illuminated and 20.2” across. Venus.

PROFILES IN AMATEUR ASTRONOMY: BRYCE HEINIGER

[Editor’s Note: From time to time I like to shine the limelight an 8” Dobsonian reflector telescope that had been in the on one of our more accomplished members. In the past, I back of the storage shed for many years. With my dad’s help, have always featured adult members. Now, this month, I I cleaned it up and it has been my main telescope for want to spotlight Bryce Heiniger, son of Mark & Wendy observing for the past few years and will continue to be for Heiniger. It is my hope to focus the light on other prominent the rest of my life. youth members of the TCAA (those being Nataya Boulware In 2016, when I was 13 years old, I earned the and Daniel Kates) in the coming months. What follows are Astronomical League’s provisional Messier certificate (for Bryce’s own words following a series of my questions.] observing at least 70 objects) that was presented to me at NCRAL 2016 and observed at the next TCAA Annual Banquet. I have been an amateur astronomer for almost seven I am currently working to finish the Messier Observing years. I have also been a part of the Twin City Amateur Program. I have started the Globular Cluster Observing Astronomy Club for about 6-7 years. My interest stemmed Program and the Meteor Observing Program, and eventually from a first observation of Saturn by Mr. Dave Osenga at the would like to complete the Sunspotters Observing Program. public observing session at Sugar Grove Nature Center. It My greatest satisfaction is that the light from any object was the detailed rings around Saturn that captivated me, I am viewing that reaches my telescope is hundreds of and Mr. Osenga had to persuade me this it was not a sticker, millions of years old. Also, it amazes me that we are only but the actual planet. From then on, I longed to pursue seeing a fraction of what is known in the universe. My viewing other objects, including nebula, galaxies and star fondest memories include watching the 2017 Perseid clusters. Meteor Shower in which I witnessed a bright greenish fireball with a train that lasted several seconds. Another was attending the Venus Transit viewing session at Sugar Grove Nature Center in 2012. Of course, another favorite memory is witnessing the 2017 Solar Eclipse down in Red Bud, Illinois. Other than finishing the Messier Observing Program, I hope to expand my observations to NGC objects and improve my astrophotography in the upcoming 2019 lunar eclipse. I believe that our knowledge of space has expanded with the recent Curiosity rover findings on Mars and the launch of several more spacecraft (Parker Solar Probe and Insight). Our ground-based telescopes have reached fainter magnitudes and detected more objects than in the past. A good example of how this is advancing quickly is astrophotography done by members of the TCAA. I thank the TCAA Club members for encouraging me over the years. They have answered my questions related to Bryce observing the 2017 total solar eclipse from Red Bud, IL astronomy and helped with aligning my telescopes. My My first telescope was received as a Christmas gift. It interest in astronomy that started when I was eight will was a table-top 4” Orion reflector telescope. I used this definitely continue as a hobby (and possibly a career). telescope for a few years until the TCAA graciously gave me

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

A Son’s Note to His Dad for Father’s Day ~ by Tim Stone ~

[Editor’s Note: Tim Stone posted the following note and picture to his Facebook page for Father’s Day. The posting was so astronomically appealing, that I had to ask Tim to allow me to publish it here. Tim agreed. Thanks, Tim, for sharing this touching sentiment.]

Dad, it’s been 24 years since I’ve heard your voice. That’s long enough that I don’t really remember what it sounded like. I do remember lots of things about you, and I tell those stories often. One of them was your love for M13. Since your passing, I’ve become an accomplished astrophotographer. I think you’d be proud of me and my accomplishments. I’ve photographed M13 several times and remembered your love for this grand cluster of stars so many times. When I look at it through my telescope, it’s like you’re there, waiting for me to step away from the eyepiece so you can have your look. I take my quick glance, and then I step back so you can see. I stand there and watch while you take in M13’s gorgeous shimmer. You straighten up with a satisfied smile and head back into the house. Maybe I’m remembering. Maybe you never really left. This year, I decided to photograph M13 again, but instead of just remembering you while photographing it, I decided to take this picture for YOU. So here is my Father’s Day present to you this year. I miss you. – Tim

TCAA PHOTO GALLERY

Craters Copernicus, Kepler, and Aristarchus by Tim Stone. Tim took this two-panel mosaic on Sunday, June 24th, with the PSO 12” Meade ACF telescope. Tim notes, “Just caught sunrise on the very eastern edge.”

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

M16 BY TIM STONE – Tim notes, “Here’s M16 with my 80ED MOON BY BOB FINNIGAN – Bob placed the new QHY 10 refractor, unguided, stack of 29 90-second exposures with that CCD camera on the Meade 12” telescope at PSO on little Atik Infinity camera. Not bad. Had to reject a bunch of images Sunday evening, June 17th. This was just rough “proof” that had blurred stars. Maybe the wind jiggled the scope a bit. A of operation shot. Bob moved the camera from the 17” bit of processing was required to help the noise... no darks, no to the 12” as the 17” mount is experiencing problems flats, but hey, If I’d have gotten this result 10 years ago, I’d have in the declination axis. He later went on to successfully been ecstatic. Anyway, thought you might like to see this.” photograph Messier 13.

MOON BY JAMEY JENKINS – Jamey notes, “Had a wonderful time observing the early evening sky th last night (2018 June 16 ) with my new astro- pal Pete Krimbel and members of the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society at the club’s grounds south of Willard airport. We toured the new roll-off roof observatory, which is in the midst of construction, but already houses several quality instruments. The evening’s targets surveyed: the 3-day old moon visible in several telescopes, including my 4-inch Megrez, Pete’s W.O. refractor, and a club member’s new 6-inch Celestron SCT; double stars Albireo and Mizar/Alcor with the Megrez and Willard Brinegar’s NP127 Televue refractor. The open star cluster Messier 44 which was situated mid-way between Venus and the moon was interesting although subdued in the lower atmosphere. I was able to enjoy an impressively tack sharp Jupiter through the club’s 14-inch Meade SCT—one of the best views I’ve had of the king of the planets! These pics were acquired at the event with my Megrez and a DMK41 camera.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

M51 BY TIM STONE AND BOB FINNIGAN – Bob noted, “Tim and I went out and took four 5- minute exposures with the new QHY 10 CCD camera. Focus is not yet good and no color so far. This was with the 17-inch telescope with guiding and some darks.”

M57 BY BOB FINNIGAN AND TOM WILLMITCH – Bob and Tom tried out the QHY 10 CCD camera on the PSO Meade th 12” during the evening of June 18 due to mechanical THE LUNAR TERMINATOR BY problems with the 17”. The above image is the first TIM STONE – On June 24th image they have taken with the camera in color mode. Tim satisfied his need for astrophotography by imaging the moon. Bob remarked, “Tom and I took a 2-minute picture of o Shown below are fur images identified by position – upper left: M57; we had the cooler at -25 C and got a guide star Tycho-Schiller; upper right: Mare Humorum; lower right: Mare around M57. The focus is better than before, but we Imbrium; lower left: Copernicus-Kepler-Aristarchus. are waiting on a Bahtinov screen from Farrah.”

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

TCAA GUIDE #8 NOW AVAILABLE

Carl Wenning has done it again. He has written an 8th TCAA Guild. The guide is titled Optimizing Observations of Deep Space Objects. According to Carl, “Deep space observations present a special challenge to the observer. They are usually small and faint, and this guide will tell you how to get the best possible view using the equipment to which you have access.” You may download the Guide at http://tcaa.us/TCAAGuides.aspx. The current guides are as follows:

1. Introduction to Amateur Astronomy 5. Coordinating Observing Sessions 2. Membership and Benefits 6. Have a Successful Observing Session 3. Astronomy as a Hobby 7. Buying Binoculars and Telescopes 4. The Art of Sky Interpretation 8. Optimizing Observations of Deep Space Objects

Two additional guides are currently being written, one at the specific request of several NCRAL members. Look for these guides to appear later this year. They are as follows:

9. Ideas for Starting, Operating, and Growing an Astronomy Club 10. Introductory Astrophotography & Video Imaging

In addition, Carl has recently updated TCAA Guide #2 – Membership and Benefits which describes all the “goodies” available to TCAA members, many of whom do not take advantage of them because they seem unaware. Read this publication and find out what you are missing!

MARS AT OPPOSITION / CLOSEST APPROACH ~ by Carl Wenning ~

Mars reaches opposition as well as closest approach to Earth during July 2018. For most of us, this will be the closest approach during the rest of our lifetimes. Look this year if ever you want to get what could turn out to be the “best view” of your lifetime. Opposition is on the 27th and closest approach is on the 31st when the Red plant will be 35.7 million miles away. Copyright © 2018 TCAA 13 All rights reserved.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

EDUCATION/PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR JUNE 2018

The June public viewing session on the 16th was attended by approximately 65 individuals, including 17 TCAA members. Mark Cabaj presented his 40-minute talk Jupiter – The King of Planets. Carl Wenning led a brief constellation study with his new 40mW green laser. Bryce & Mark Heiniger ran the CPC 11” at SGO, and Tom Willmitch run the Meade 12” at PSO. The evening was hot and humid, but the sky was hazy but clear, and viewing continued to around 11:15 PM. Also in attendance were the following TCAAers: Lee Green, Dave Osenga, Mike & Steve Starasta, Lisa Wentzel, Rick & Carolyn Lasher, Paul Pouliot, Mark Boulware, and Scott & Emily Wade. Tim Stone reported later on the new speaker, “The sound system worked perfectly, and is a great enhancement to our public viewing sessions. Excellent results, Dave. Hat’s off to you!” Lee Green and Carl Wenning responded to a call for help from Jill at SGNC to assist with the Great American Campout on Saturday, June 23rd. With the partly cloudy sky, about 40 people were able to view through Lee’s C-14 and SGO CPC 11” telescopes. Viewed were the moon, Jupiter, Saturn and a few Messier objects in the eastern sky. The session lasted from about 9:30 PM to just after 11:00 AM. The June Sidewalk Astronomy program was cancelled earlier in the day due to little prospect of a clear sky. The sky at SGNC unexpectedly cleared later that evening. On Friday, June 29th, Lee Green hosted an observing program at Flannagan, IL. During a Family Explore the Stars Night event, Lee talked about the seasons and gave a laser-mediated sky tour. While it was a warm evening, the nearly-Full Moon waited until they had observed Jupiter and Saturn before it came out as a wonderful third target for the parent and many kids. About 50 were in attendance.

JUST HOW BRIGHT ARE ASTRONOMERS?

Every amateur astronomer should be familiar with the classical Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. It’s a plot of temperature (or color) versus luminosity (or absolute magnitude). Stars to the upper right quadrant of the diagram are huge; stars to the lower left are tiny – including even dead stars like white and brown dwarves. Blue giants dominate the upper left of the diagram. Where are astronomers located on this diagram? From the looks of a variant of the H-R Diagram pointed out by Tony Cellini recently, astronomers aren’t very bright!

REMAINING PUBLIC VIEWING SESSIONS FOR 2018

Jul 14 Saturn – The Ringed Wonder (Lee Green) 9:00-11:00 PM Our beautiful ringed planet is showing its glories this month. Join us in exploring the planet, its moons, and results from NASA’s decades-long Cassini mission.

Aug 11 Perseid Meteor Shower (Carl Wenning) 8:30-10:30 PM Earth year during the mid-August, Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift–Tuttle and this results in a meteor show. This year’s prospects for observing are good.

Sep 08 Mars – The Red Planet (Jay Ansher) 8:00-10:00 PM Every 25 months the Red Planet graces our evening sky. This year Mars will make its closest approach in many years and will appear it largest in decades.

Oct 13 Globular Clusters (Mark & Nataya Boulware) 7:00-9:00 PM These star clusters are among the very oldest star systems within the Milky Way galaxy. Today a

swarm of perhaps 150 tightly-packed clusters orbit the core of our home galaxy.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

TCAA CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2018

Date Event Coordinator Location Times Jul 07 Member Viewing Session N/A WO Dusk Jul 11-14 ALCon 2018 N/A Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN All Day Jul 14 PVS: Saturn – The Ringed Wonder Lee Green SGNC 9:00-11:00 PM Jul 21 Sidewalk Astronomy Rick Lasher Tipton Trails North 9:00 PM Aug 04 Member Viewing Session N/A WO Dusk Aug 11 PVS: Perseid Meteor Shower Carl Wenning SGNC 8:30-10:30 PM Aug 18 Sidewalk Astronomy Tim Stone Tipton Trails North 8:30 PM Sep 29 Central Illinois Mini Conference CUAS (tentative) TBD TBD Sep 08 PVS: Mars – The Red Planet Jay Ansher SGNC 8:00-10:00 PM Sep 15 Sidewalk Astronomy Rick Lasher Tipton Trails North 7:45 PM Oct 04-06 Illinois Dark Skies Star Party N/A Jim Edgar – Panther Creek All day Oct 06 Member Viewing Session N/A WO Dusk Oct 13 PVS: Globular Clusters Mark & Nataya Boulware SGNC 7:00-9:00 PM Oct 20 Pizza Party Coordinator needed TBD 6:00 PM Nov 03 Member Viewing Session N/A WO Dusk Dec ?? Saturnalia Party Coordinator needed TBD 7:00-10:00 PM

MESSIER MEMORIES ~ by Tim Stone ~

While cleaning out a box of old papers recently, I ran across a couple of documents that I had no Idea I’d kept all these years. They took me back to my youth, when one of my main goals in astronomy was to observe all the Messier objects. I remember using my 6” Criterion Dynascope, and once I could drive, Bob Finnigan’s monstrous 14” Celestron. It was quite an undertaking for me at that time, and I made considerable progress over time. I kept track of which objects I’d identified on a map copied onto 8.5”x11” paper. The map originated with Art Grebner, one of the founders of the Peoria Astronomical Society, and is dated 1974. As I located a Messier object, I’d circle it on this map. All but three are circled. I don’t know where I got the chart, but it’s a reminder of my youthful zeal for astronomy.

The second document is my Messier Certificate, issued by the Astronomical League on January 28, 1978 (Certificate No. 348). I would have been in college at the time, and it recognizes me for having observed seventy or more Messier objects. It promises a full membership in the Messier Club upon confirmation of all 107 Messier objects. I received that certification on September 23, 1979. My original certificate was returned to the AL and stamped with the words “Honorary Citation.” The certificate was signed by Bill Scurlock, Astronomical League Observing Chairman; Robert R. Young, Astronomical League President; and Robert Mayo, the TCAA Organization Representative who certified all observations. I don’t have an AL Observing Program pin for observing the Messier Objects, but I do have my certificate! I’m glad to have found these documents, as well as the fond memories they bring back to me. Copyright © 2018 TCAA 15 All rights reserved.

Vol. 43, No. 7 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers July 2018

HOWTIMEFLIES

The Twin City Amateur Astronomers was founded in 1960 through the efforts of John & Bertha Kieviet. Over the years, newsletter editors David B. Williams, G. Weldon Schuette, Garry Skinner, Jim Moncher, Mike Rogers & Jean Memken, Rebecca Wenning, and Erin Estabrook (as well as other contributors) documented the efforts of the club. Now, TCAA Editor and Historian Carl Wenning continues that effort and provides monthly updates about the history of the club going back in intervals of 40, 25, and 10 years. Details about all mentioned events will be found in either the publication Twin City Amateur Astronomers: 1960-2010 or in The OBSERVER archive found on the TCAA website.

40 Years Ago: July 1978 – On the evening of July 4th, Bob Finnigan and Weldon Schuette observed auroras “that pierced the sky like slow moving beacon lights.” The auroras were bright enough to be seen from nearly the center of Normal at 11 PM. The club held its summer picnic at the home of Nancy Schulz between Downs and Heyworth on the 26th. Art Grebner came over from Peoria with his 20” telescope.

25 Years Ago: July 1993 – On July 25th, twenty-five TCAAers participated in Diamond Star Motors annual employees’ day that was attended by some 5,000 workers. We had a 4’ x 8’, four-part panel showing Earth as seen from the moon as a backstop for our display which included telescopes and observing aids. We had a number of telescopes aimed at the sun for viewing. We received lots of exposure and provided lots of people with information about the club. Sharon MacDonald coordinated the event. Several members attended ALCon in Madison, WI, at the end of the month.

10 Years Ago: July 2008 – The July POS was attended by 50 guests, and everyone was greeted with a clear and dark sky, and cool temperature. July MOOS was held at Farm View Observatory located near Streator, IL, and recently built by member John Werner. Lee Green continues to prepare “Constellation of the Month” for the newsletter; Carl Wenning continues to list AL observing program accomplishments by member and program so frequent were these observations being made at the time. Dan Miller and John Werner reported on their recent trip to South America.

TCAA TREASURER’S REPORT AS OF JUNE 29, 2018

Checking Account Information

Memo Category Amount BALANCE 05/29/2018 1,088.42

25.13 Thomas Willmitch Dues Received To create savings account activity Transfer from Savings 500.00 Home Depot Credit Card (6.22)

Astronomical League Subscription - 60 Members Dues and Subscriptions (355.00)

(188.44) Networking Hardware Waynesville Observatory Sound System Reimbursement (225.84) Electrical Service Waynesville Observatory (54.82) BALANCE 06/29/2018 783.23

Checking Account Balance – June 29, 2018 $783.23 Savings Account Balance – June 29, 2018 $3,017.31 - Includes $0.06 cents interest

Total TCAA Funds – June 29, 2018 $3,800.54

All transactions are reconciled with the bank statements as of this date.

Respectfully submitted, Dave Osenga, Treasurer