San Diego Astronomy Association Celebrating Over 40 Years of Astronomical Outreach

Office (619) 645-8940 News and Notes July/August 2004 Observatory (619) 766-9118 http://www.sdaa.org A Non-Profit Educational Association P.O. Box 23215, San Diego, CA 92193-3215 Gala Double Issue! You hold in your hands the gear. Chriss works at OPT, and if SDAA Business Meeting SDAA's first ever Gala Double you’ve ever been in there, you Next Meeting will be held at: Issue! This issue covers both July know it’s non-stop chaotically busy SKF Condition Monitoring and August 2004. all the time. On top of that, he has 5271 Viewridge Court San Diego, CA 92123 In reality, the reason for this a very aggressive photography life, August 10th at 7:00pm double issue is to be sure we cover and of course a family who wants all the happenings in the SDAA to see him once in a blue moon. Work Parties Forming while we in transition between So for the first time in many years, The SDAA has grand plans for cleaning and editors/publishers. Julie Quinn, the SDAA was left with no solid maintenace at Tierra del Sol. We have rented a 40-foot debris dumpster and will be having our last regular editor, has moved publishing group. several large work/cleaning parties in the to Michigan with her family to In steps Doug Searles, who has coming months. Watch the newsletter for seek more mosquito-ridden skies – graciously volunteered to take over further details — and volunteer! actually, Julie, Mike and the kids editor duties for the SDAA. But Program Meetings sought a simpler life after Mike's rather than thrust an emergency August 18 retirement. While she has offered publication on him, I opted to do Ken VanLew to step in and help, and while we this Gala Double Issue (having Julie and Jake Ruckner–Science Fair Winners truly appreciate her commitment, done the newsletter for seven years September 15 Universe–The Cosmology Quest, Part II it’s better for us to find a more myself), and let Doug ease on into permanent solution now and for the job. October 20 Rich Strobel, SDAA Party Chair the future. Chriss Hoffmann, who So there you have it, the rhyme offered to take over, did so just and reason for this issue. Enjoy CONTENTS before his life kicked into high and clear skies!

July/August 2004 Vol. XL Issue 7/8 Published Monthly by the AGreat Year for the Perseids San Diego Astronomy Association 75¢/$8.00 year Incorporated in California in 1963 Summer is a great time for than the usual number of “shooting meteor watching, in part because ” at the site, but on the nights Presidential Notes ...... 1 of August 12-13 (or 11-12, depend- Perseids ...... 1 of the warm weather and in part Astronomy 101 ...... 2 because of some great clouds of ing on your source), the Perseids Treasurer’s Report ...... 3 dust the Earth passes through this can produce fifty, seventy-five or Skywatch ...... 5 Private Pad Reminder ...... 6 time of year. This year could be a even one hundred or more fast Program Meetings ...... 6 great year for the Perseids. bright meteors per hour. The Bilingual Astronomer ...... 6 The Back Page ...... 8 During this time of year, we What will make it an especially always seem to see a few more excellent year to watch the Perseids continued on page 4 San Diego Astronomy Association

could do was OK. Robbery, difficult to separate from its clos- debauchery, murder, all crimes est neighbor Centaurus. is were allowed. The good people packed tightly between Centaurus by Scott Baker of Arcadia feared their king and and Hydra to the west, Scorpius prayed to the gods to deliver and Norma to the east. Although Macabre, to say the least! them from this barbarian. Zeus, small, and since it lays in the This month’s is hearing the prayers from Earth, Milky Way, it contains many Lupus the Wolf. The origins of decided to see for himself, this interesting items, especially dou- this constellation are a little barbaric king of Arcadia. ble stars. Lupus is low in the fuzzy, with many civilizations Disguising himself as a human, South, just after dark in the sky, seeing an animal of sacrifice in he walked to the castle of King in July, so make it one of your the stars here. The Greeks Lycaon and asked for a meal. first stops. called this constellation The custom of the gods was that “Therion,” that is “wild ani- any visiting stranger would be For the double star observer, mal,” while the Romans gave it granted a meal and be welcomed Gamma Lupi is a very close the name of “Bestia.” Most felt into any household. King binary with a nearly edge-on Lycaon’s servants, fol- orbit whose period is 147 years. lowing this same cus- Currently the companion is at tom, allowed the dis- the greatest distance with a sep- guised Zeus in and aration of 0.68". Eta Lupi, presented him to the another binary with a separa- king. The king sum- tion of 15", can be a challenge, moned one of his ser- despites it's wide separation, vants and ordered him due to the brightness contrast to bring a hot meal to between the pair. The primary the stranger. The is bright blue 3rd magnitude star meal was prepared and and the secondary a yellowish served to Zeus. Zeus 8th magnitude. It should be looking at the platter resolvable with large binoculars before him immediate- and small scopes with steady ly recognized human skies. Another challenge is body parts, those of Epsilon Lupi, a close binary: Nyctimus, a son of Lycaon. At 3.4, 5.5; with a separation of that it was a wolf, speared by seeing this, Zeus flew into a 0.6". Other doubles to check Centaurus as an offering to the rage, and with lightning bolts out are Kappa1 and kappa2, Gods to be presented at an from his eyes, killed all in the Mu Lupi and Xi1 and xi2 Lupi, altar, the constellation Ara, castle. All except King Lycaon, this double is the most attrac- close by. But another Greek who he turned into a wolf, his tive binary in Lupus. story is macabre, a story about teeth dripping blood, his clothes a King with fifty sons, who becoming bristly fur, and threw For the deepsky enthusiast, believed in human sacrifices. up into the heavens, as a warn- Lupus has little to offer, unless ing to others. you have a light bucket. King Lycaon ruled the land of Although the summer Milky Arcadia. He had fifty sons and The constellation Lupus is not Way dips down into Lupus, believed that anything a human very obvious, and in fact is fairly making it a nice constellation

PAGE 2SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, JULY/AUGUST 2004 San Diego Astronomy Association

Treasurer’s Report by Michael Finch

With the addition of our new members we now have a total of 621 SDAA members. We have several new members last month. Please welcome John Aydelotte, Michael Breaux, Mike Davis, Edward Hayes, Alan Jenkins, Jashua A. Johnson, Robert and Rebecca Larys, Barbara Lounsbury, Leo Montoya, Kevin Robinson, Daniel Robrecht, Purushothama Sarva, Derek Szymanski, Christine and Gordon Van Such, and Marc Weyl. Welcome to SDAA and may you enjoy clear dark skies! Effective May 1, 2004 member- ship dues have changed. The new rates are as follows: to scan with binoculars, it lacks 319+15.1 are two other plane- Contributing Member the wealth of bright deepsky taries of 10.5 and 10.6 magni- $50.00 objects the other Summer tudes. For the faint fuzzy Basic/Senior Member Milky Way con- lover, check out the $30.00 tain. Of note is NGC 5822, a western quadrant of Lupus, Family Member very large of about you’ll find many 12th magni- $ 5.00 a hundred stars. The cluster is tude, and fainter, to about 6000 light years away, test that large, shiny, piece of Reminder to our private pad and is located 3º SW of zeta glass. owners: the renewal date for your Lupi. Also, NGC 5986 is a pad lease coincides with your mem- globular cluster about 45,000 Clear Skies! bership renewal. Please ensure you light years distant, with a visual pad fee is paid when paying your magnitude of 7.5. It is 2.5º membership renewal. WNW of Eta Lupi. If you own Do we have your correct address? a light bucket, and are up to If you note an error on your newslet- the challenge, then give some of ter address label, please let me know these a shot. NGC5873 is a so I can update our records. 13th magnitude planetary nebu- continued on page 4 la. PLN 327+10.1 and PLN

SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, JULY/AUGUST 2004 PAGE 3 San Diego Astronomy Association continued from page 1 Tr y watching for them after the planet’s path is scooped up in is that we will be close to New Moon has left the sky, leaving the the atmosphere, slamming into Moon during peak times, something predawn hours dark. You may only the air at speeds of 7 to 45 we haven’t enjoyed over the last sev- see only a few per hour, but num- miles per second (11-72 kps). eral years. Without moonlight to bers and duration will increase dur- Their energy of motion rapidly wash out the sky, and predictions of ing the second week of August. At dissipates in the form of heat, a heavier concentration of meteoric its height, you might spot one to light, and ionization, creating debris, leading to better than normal two per minute, and sometimes short-lived streaks of light. meteor activity. even more meteors can be seen dur- So make arrangements now to ing brief bursts. The last Perseid attend a meteor party – or host one stragglers can be spotted of your own. Between no Moon, as late as August 24. warm weather, and clear skies on The only equipment Mount Laguna or TDS, this year’s you will need are your Perseids should put on quite a show! eyes and a bit of patience. Find a location away from bright lights with a wide Treasurer’s Report continued from page 3 view of the sky, particular- ly towards the northeast. A reminder to our members TDS is good, or if you renewing magazine subscriptions: don’t want to drive that Please make payment to San Diego far, try Inspiration Point Astronomy Association—not to the or another pullout along publisher. Our members receive Sunrise Highway on group rates if the renewal is Mount Laguna. Bring a processed and paid by the SDAA. blanket or lounge chair so Additionally, there is no need to you can relax while look- send a check for membership ing up. renewal and a second check for the Early morning magazine renewal. One check will hours generally provide To find the radiant, or central point, do (and cuts down on my work a the best viewing, typi- from which most meteors emanate, bit). Thank you. look northeast after midnight towards cally offering up twice as many the constellation of Perseus. meteors as in the evening. Why? Second Site Fund balance: In the predawn, you’re standing For those unfamiliar with the $3,992.79 Perseids (or any other meteor show- like a hood ornament on the er), meteors are bits of debris – typi- side of Earth facing the oncom- cally no larger than sand grains but ing traffic; as compared to the sometimes up to pea size – left evening hours when you’re on behind during repeated passes of the trailing edge of the planet’s comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet orbital plunge through around crosses the inner solar system once the Sun. Evening meteors much every 128 years as part of its elon- catch up with Earth by having gated orbit around the Sun. an orbital velocity greater than Forerunners of the Perseid show- the planet. After midnight, er began to appear around July 17. however, any particle in the

PAGE 4SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, JULY/AUGUST 2004 San Diego Astronomy Association

SkyWatch by John Mood

[ Times PDT] [ * = 1 star = EZ ] [ ** = 2 stars = Moderate ] [ *** = 3 stars = Difficult ]

Sat., 31 July — FULL MOON, 11:05 a.m.; NOT a “blue moon,” which term properly refers to a literally blue moon, caused by atmospheric particles. Sat., 7 Aug. — PUBLIC STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol. Thurs., 12 Aug. — PERSEID METEOR SHOWER peaks this morning. Sat., 14 Aug. — MEMBERS STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol. Sun., 15 Aug. — NEW MOON, 6:24 p.m. Sat., 21 Aug. — PUBLIC STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol; explore the Moon’s “terminator” (where dark turns to light) for spectacular views of mountains, craters & rills. Sun., 29 Aug. — FULL MOON, 7:22 p.m. Tues., 31 Aug. & Wed., 1 Sept. — VENUS & SATURN are within 1.9 degrees of each other these mornings [see below]. Sat., 4 Sept. — PUBLIC STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol.

EVENING PLANETS: There are 3 planets in Leo the Lion, but even at the start of the month, they are so low as to preclude telescopic viewing. JUPITER [ * ] is the brightest & highest. MARS [ *1/2 ] & MERCURY [ *1/2 ] are so low on the horizon that you’ll need binocs to spot them before all 3 disappear in a couple of weeks. NEPTUNE [ ** ] in Capricornus the Goat & URANUS [ * 1/2 ] in Aquarius the Water Carrier are now visible fairly high in the sky well before midnight. MORNING PLANETS: VENUS [ * ] moves from Taurus the Bull across the legs of Gemini the Twins & is the brightest object in the sky other than the Sun & the Moon. It passes very close to SATURN [ * ] which is also in Gemini [ see above ], but the ringed planet is too low early in the month for really good telescopic viewing; by the end of the month, it’s higher in the SDAA Editorial Staff sky. { N.B. Because of the recent discovery of 2 relatively large trans-Neptunian objects, many professional astronomers no long consider Pluto a planet. I’ll go along w/ ‘em! }

FOR ALL OBSERVERS, BEGINNING & EXPERIENCED That bright stream of light overhead split by dark lanes of dust is the Summer Milky Way, our home galaxy. Summer provides us with the finest view we humans will ever have of an edge-on spiral galaxy. It’s not precisely edge-on as is 9.6 mag NGC-4565 in Coma Berenices, Berenice’s Hair, & not tilted quite as much as 7th mag NGC-253 in SDAA Sculptor; more like 10th mag NGC-4216 in Virgo, the Virgin. & that’s part of my point. Not even Palomar Observatory can get as good a view of an edge-on spiral galaxy as your Editor naked eyes can at this time of year. Of course, we’re seeing only the nucleus & one ansa (arm) of the galaxy. One has to be in the Southern Hemisphere to see the entire galaxy, To Be Filled with the bulge of the nucleus & both ansae. But it’s still breathtaking, especially when [email protected] you ponder what your eyes are viewing.

Contributing Writers TIERRA DEL SOL LAT = 32º 36' 48" N (±0.l"), LONG = 116º 19' 55" W (±0.1"), ELEV = 3710' Diana Baker (±5'), at the bathroom, as determined from USGS 7.5 min 1/24000 map. Scott Baker Michael Finch Send comments & questions to me by phone (619/225-9639), USPS (4538 Long Branch Brian McFarland Av., San Diego, CA 92107) or my e-mail address ([email protected]). John Mood Brian V. Staples ¡HAPPY VIEWING! Rick Tejere

SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, MAY 2004 PAGE 5 San Diego Astronomy Association

Private Pad aspects of the Cassini spacecraft and learn Spanish the way my sister did. Reminder its mission at Saturn. Jay’s talk was As for me, I just don’t quite have the by Brian McFarland informative and fun — we’ll have to lingual ear of my sister. The woman have him back in the future. can hear a language for a month and Over a year ago the pad usage The August Program Meeting, speak it conversationally, give her six rules were updated to increase the on the 18th will feature Ken VanLew, months and it may as well be the use requirement to four times per an astronomy professor who will mother tongue. Given my lack of year. The official count has tradi- give one of his college lectures. We language skills (there are those who tionally occurred in October of each will also have Julie and Jake Rucker say English would apply here as year, and since we are traditionalists, who will present their award win- well), I never really thought I would this year will be no different. So, if ning science fair projects. have the NEED to learn a new lan- you have not used your pad four The September Program meet- guage. Then came astronomy. times since October 2003, the club ing will find us enjoying the second OK, I know you’re wondering will take possession of the pad and half of the DVD, Universe – The where I’m going with this, so let issue it to the next person on the Cosmology Quest. This DVD turned me explain. Like most newcomers pad waiting list. out to be a surprise in that the to the hobby, my first quest was to Any notices you may receive information provided was very observe the Messier catalogue. As I from the club regarding your mem- interesting and well presented. got close to completing the cata- bership renewal may also say Don't miss the second half! logue, I realized, one September “Reminder to our private pad own- The October meeting will feature while compiling my observing list, ers: the renewal date for your pad our own Rich Strobel, who will speak that the only Messier objects left lease coincides with your member- and show a presentation on our School were the spring galaxies. Oh well, ship renewal. Please ensure you pad and Star Party Outreach Program. may as well start the SAC 110 Best fee is paid when paying your mem- You have no reason to miss these NGCs. It quickly dawned on me bership renewal.” great meetings. They are held the that while there were no end of ref- However, not all the pad dues third Wednesday of each month at erences with pictures and drawing are synched up with their respective the Mission Trails Regional Park of the Messiers, no such aids exist- membership dues. If your pad dues Visitor Center Theater. The doors ed much beyond that. It proved and membership due dates do not open at 6:30 and the meeting starts difficult at first to try to get a men- coincide, please pro-rate your next promptly at 7:00. Directions to the tal picture of what my quarry pad dues to bring your due dates in visitor center can be found at the would look like. I guess I went synch with each other. If you don't MTRP web page at www.mtrp.org. right over or past many NGCs know how to do this, please contact before I realized help was at hand. the Board. The Bilingual While not technically a language, Astronomer the shorthand system derived by Program By Rick Tejere J.L.E. Dreyer to describe the Saguaro Astronomy Club objects in the NGC offers a good Meetings way to get that mental idea of what by Scott Baker I grew up in a bilingual house- you are looking for. The first time I The July program meeting saw hold. My mother, Grandmother and looked at one of the descriptions, I over 50 members enjoy a presenta- sister spoke fluent Spanish. Then had no real idea what it said. After tion by Jay Lavine, Solar System there were the Tejera men. My dad, all does Ambassador for NASA/JPL and although also of Puerto Rican ances- Cl,pS,Ri,lC,st9...13 SDAA member, who’s topic “Saturn, try, grew up in boarding schools and Lord of the Rings” covered all thus didn’t have the opportunity to make sense to the English speaker?

PAGE 6SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, JULY/AUGUST 2004 San Diego Astronomy Association

! remarkable object !! very remarkable object when they are “considerably”. sc however means am among n north strung together “scattered”. Note that south con- att attached N nucleus that they can get siderably or suddenly considerably bet between neb , nebulosity confusing. Not don’t make sense, so the meaning B bright P w paired with b brighter p pretty (before F,B,L,S) unlike the King’s has to “scattered”. So to decipher C compressed p preceding English (which the description of NGC 6520 we c considerably P poor I’m told we DO get: Cl cluster R round NOT speak) a Cluster (Cl), pretty small (pS), D double Ri rich symbol can have def defined r not well resolved rich (Ri), little compressed (lC), more than one deg degrees rr partially resolved th th meaning. Thus stars 9 to 13 magnitude diam diameter rrr well resolved (st9...13) dif diffuse S small one needs to be E elongated s suddenly able to determine If you’ve observed this object, e extremely s south context in order that pretty well describes it. The lan- er easily resolved sc scattered to decipher the guage is a pretty good representation F faint susp suspected proper meaning. f following st star or stellar of what you will see visually. g gradually v very Also note that oft The easiest way to become flu- iF irregular figure var variable time the case of ent in Dreyerese is to practice by inv involved nf north following the symbol is reading it one symbol at a time. irr irregular np north preceding indicative of the Don’t try to take in the whole L large sf south following proper transla- l little sp south preceding description in one shot. Go for it in tion. For example mag magnitude 11m 11th magnitude bits and pieces. Work at it bit by bit M middle 8... 8th mag and fainter p. p by itself in and you’ll be speaking Dreyerese m much 9...13 9th to 13th magnitude lower case indi- before you know it. Now when your cates position, in looking for objects, you’ll be able to Figure 1: The Dreyer Designations this case, “preceding” or west of. get an idea of what to expect in the Take the same p and add it imme- eyepiece. Don’t be shy about having After a few frustrating observing ses- diately in front of F, B, L or S the Dreyer key with you at the eye- sions, I made it a point to, as I put and it becomes an adjective mean- piece for reference and don’t forget it, learn Dreyerese. Once you look ing pretty as in pretty Faint, pret- to combine your newfound skill at the key to his shorthand the ty Bright, pretty Large or pretty with other resources as well. The descriptions will make sense, sort of. Small. Starting to make some SAC database has a wealth of info There are several symbols that can sense? Capitalize it and now it have multiple meaning, to decipher means “poor” so if you saw p pF on over 10,000 objects including the correct meaning takes a bit of pS you might want to skip this size, brightness, etc. (along with the practice in reading the context of object, as it is poor, pretty faint Dreyer descriptions). You can easily the description, but it comes rather and pretty small. Similarly, s can have this info available at the eye- quickly. mean either “south” or “suddenly” piece using the freeware program To illustrate, lets take the exam- the adjoining symbols will deter- Astrobyte. ple above, which is NGC 6520, an mine which meaning it has. Note Now, start practicing your open cluster in Sagittarius. First we that some symbols can’t be com- Dreyerese—there will be a test. need the Dreyerese alphabet (see bined and make sense, a clue as to fig. 1). the true meaning of what you are OK, most of the symbols reading. Example, s by itself as make sense, at least when you previously noted means either look at them individually. It’s “south” or “suddenly”, c means

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