Prime Focus Page 2 October 2020 Velocity)
Highlights of the October Sky. . .
- - - 1st - - - Full Moon 5:05 pm EDT
- - - 2nd & 3rd - - - DAWN: Venus and Regulus are less than ½° apart.
nd - - - 2 - - - PM: The Moon and Mars are about 2° apart. KAS - - - 6th - - - PM: A waning gibbous Moon is about 4½° le of Aldebaran in Taurus. General Meeting: Friday, October 2 @ 7:00 pm
- - - 9th - - - Held Online via Zoom • See Page 10 for Details Last Quarter Moon 8:40 pm EDT Member Observing: Saturday, October 10 @ 7:00 pm - - - 10th - - - AM: The Moon is 4° from Mars & Galaxies of Autumn • See Page 9 for Details Pollux in Gemini.
- - - 11th - - - Board Meeting: Sunday, October 11 @ 5:00 pm AM: A waning crescent Moon is less than 2° from Held Online via Zoom • All Members Welcome to Attend the Beehive Cluster (M44).
- - - 13th - - - Member Observing: Saturday, October 24 @ 7:00 pm Mars at Opposi on A Planet Palooza! • See Page 9 for Details - - - 14th - - - DAWN: A narrow waning crescent Moon is 7° to the lower le of Venus.
- - - 16th - - - Inside the Newsletter. . . New Moon 3:31 pm EDT September Mee ng Minutes...... p. 2 - - - 21st - - - AM: Orionid meteor shower Board Mee ng Minutes...... p. 3 peaks. KAS Member Observatories...... p. 4 - - 22nd - - - DUSK: Moon, Jupiter, and Observa ons...... p. 5 Saturn form a ght triangle. Online Viewing Sessions...... p. 6 - - - 23rd - - - First Quarter Moon NASA Night Sky Notes...... p. 7 9:23 am EDT October Night Sky...... p. 8 - - 29th - - - PM: A waxing gibbous Moon KAS Board & Announcements...... p. 9 and Mars are 4° apart. General Mee ng Preview...... p. 10 - - - 31st - - - Full Moon 10:49 am EDT September Meeting Minutes
The general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society around the lake. One other example can be witnessed from was brought to order by President Richard Bell on Friday, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Turn on a flashlight at September 11, 2020 at 7:10 pm EDT. Approximately 32 night, leave it on the ground, and drive 1 mile away in the members and guests attended from their homes via Zoom. direction of the beam. The beam will be visible if your head is only 9-inches above the ground, but will disappear from Tonight’s special guest speaker is (as of September 1st) the view if your head is only 7-inches from the salty flats. Vice President of the Astronomical League, Chuck Allen. He also served as League president from 1998 - 2002. Among Mr. Allen then moved onto the horizon limits of the human his many other accomplishments, Mr. Allen is a hardcore eye. A 100 W light blub emits 300 quintillion photons per observer with 6,000 observations logged. He is one of only second (that’s a 3 followed by 20 zeros). At a distance of 1.6 12 League-certified master observers to have completed 30 miles, a candle can be seen. With the pupils fully dilated to League observing programs, three of which he coordinates. 7mm, your eyes would take in 2,700 photons/second. An 8.5 The title of his presentation was Cosmic Horizons. -magnitude star only brings 270 photons/second to your fully dilated eye (assuming you have very dark skies and Mr. Allen described a horizon as the limit of our vision. It is extraordinary vision). One night with his 12-inch SCT, Mr. defined in three ways. 1) The curvature of the world you Allen was able to observe the 16th-magnitude galaxy NGC happen to be standing on. 2) The ability of the human eye 498 in Pisces. He later calculated that his eye was only (with or without a telescope) to discern photons being receiving 18 photons/second. Testing the sensitivity of our received from faint objects. 3) The speed of light in an vision, Prof. Alipasha Vaziri, from Rockefeller University, accelerating universe. said some people could see a laser that emitted 1 photon/ second in a totally dark room. On Earth, the horizon is the point at which your lowest possible view intersects a perpendicular line to the center of Mr. Allen said the furthest star that the human eye can see is the Earth at a right angle. The height above the surface of a V 762 in Cassiopeia. It is 5.8-magnitude, but about 16,308 world you’re standing on will make a difference in how far light-years away. Back in 1885, a supernova erupted in the that horizon is from you. If you’re 6-feet tall your horizon is Andromeda Galaxy (2.5 million light-years away) and was going to be 3.1 miles away. On the smaller diameter Moon, visible to the unaided eye. On March 19, 2008 a gamma-ray the horizon would only be 1.5 miles for a person of the same burst in Boötes was within the range of naked eye visibility. height. If you ascend to the top of a fire watch tower 100 feet No one is known to have observed it, but it reached a above the surface, your horizon grows to 12 miles. From the maximum brightness of 5.5-magnitude for ~70 seconds. This top of the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building was at a distance of 7.5 billion light-years. Arkansas amateur at 2,722 feet, the horizon would be 60 miles distant. And, astronomer, Scott Harrington, determined the most distant from the top of Mt. Everest (29,029 feet) the horizon is 209 deep sky objects visible to the unaided eye by type. These miles away. are open cluster NGC 884 (one-half of the Double Cluster, 7,502 light-years), emission nebula M17 (5,900 light-years), Can one see the curvature of Earth for themselves from the globular cluster M2 (37,500 light-years), and spiral galaxy surface? Indeed you can! (Take that flat-earthers.) Mr. Allen M81 (11 million light-years). Using only 7×35 binoculars, showed pictures of a ship descending over the distant Scott was able to view NGC 3607 in Leo. That galaxy is 69.4 horizon. You can also observe Earth’s non-flatness from million light-years from Earth. Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana with power lines wrapping Telescopes, of course, can take us much further. Quasar 3C 273 in Virgo isn’t difficult to view with modest amateur telescopes. It’s 12.9-magnitude and 2.44 billion light-years (Gyr) away. Fun fact: place that quasar at Arcturus’ distance of 36 light-years and it would be as bright as the Sun! With a small telescope, you can also image the quasar APM 08279+5255 in Lynx. We see that 12.05-magnitude object as it appeared 12.05 billion years ago. That quasar would “shine” at magnitude -45 if placed at Arcturus’ distance. Yikes! The furthest thing we’ve been able to observe with the Hubble Space Telescope is Gn-Z11, a protogalaxy in Ursa Major that appears to us to be 13.4 Gyr away. The most distant thing we’ve ever observed is the Comic Microwave Background Radiation, left over heat from the Big Bang. It appears to be 13.82 Gyr away.
Mr. Allen then moved onto the limits of our vision as Chuck Allen, newly elected Vice President of the determined by the expansion of the universe. He started with Astronomical League, gave the feature presentation an example of Hubble’s Law. This says that a galaxy’s during the meeting on September 11th via Zoom. distance is directly proportional to its redshift (or recession
Prime Focus Page 2 October 2020 velocity). A more distant galaxy recedes away from us faster and confirmed that his computer would work for sharing than a nearby galaxy. The cause is the expansion of space photos. Further Member-Only Observing Sessions were set itself. As a beam of light travels through expanding space, for October 10th and 24th. it’s wavelength is stretched toward the red end of the spectrum. That’s why a galaxy’s distance (as we perceive it In New Business, the first item was the self-storage facility, today), is directly proportional its red shift. The expansion of since Paragon is requiring us to move out by October 5th. space was actually slowing down due to gravitational After some discussion, the best prospect for a replacement interaction until about 8 billion years ago. At that point, the seemed to be the Kalamazoo Storage Center at Burdick and mysterious force known as dark energy took over and caused Cork. Richard suggested a unit measuring 7.5’ × 10’, at a the expansion to accelerate. All this means that most galaxies cost of $88/month. After a motion by Don and second by are much further away than we actually see them. For Jack, this plan was accepted. The moving date was set for example, protogalaxy Gn-Z11 (referred to earlier) is actually Thursday, September 17th at 3pm. 32 Gyr away today. Mr. Allen concluded with the ultimate cosmic horizons. 1) 13.8 Gyr = maximum distance light has The next item was what should be done about the club’s had time to travel. 2) 14.7 Gyr = distance between Earth and loaner ShortTube 80 refractor, which was apparently stolen the galaxies which are currently receding from us at the from Arya’s garage. Arya offered possible ways to make speed of light (known at the Hubble distance). 3) 16 Gyr = restitution, but the Board was unanimous in rejecting this boundary beyond which events cannot ever be observed offer, given that the loss was due not to negligence but to (known at the Cosmic Event Horizon). 4) 46 Gyr = Cosmic theft. It was noted that this refractor was the least borrowed Particle Horizon, the maximum distance from which light of any of the club loaner scopes. The consensus was that we from particles could have traveled to the observer in the age should hold off on replacing the instrument for the time of the universe. being and see how much it is missed, especially in view of the recent donation of 25×100 giant binoculars. After a two-month hiatus, Richard gave a lengthy President’s Report following Mr. Allen’s fascinating presentation. (Most In further new business, Richard proposed another season of of what he covered is in the board minutes starting below or viewing sessions with the Remote Telescope, this time to be his column on page 5.) In observing reports, Joe Comiskey held online (which was Richard’s plan despite the enjoyed the close conjunction of the Moon and Mars on pandemic). The suggested dates were November 7th, September 6th. Members like Don Stilwell and Jack Price December 5th, January 9th, and February 6th, with a cloud-out shared quick stories of viewing Comet NEOWISE back in date one week later in each case. The next topic was the July. Luke Bessler was able to find binoculars on eBay that December meeting, for which the usual Holiday Party is not were suitable for his wide interpupillary distance (77mm). a possibility for this year. We are required by the Bylaws to They are 7×50 Storm Kings bult in 1988 by Swifts. Luke hold an election, but a business meeting and election alone says only 1 out of 1000 have this interpupillary distance, so seemed like a spare offering. Richard suggested that we have finding binoculars for himself was quite a challenge. In some kind of program online, and a possibility would be a astronomical news, Jack mentioned the launch of the talk on Mars given by a friend of Kevin Jung who works at Perseverance rover on July 30th. Kevin Jung reminded us it’s JPL. It was agreed that this idea would be pursued. For the due to land on February 18th. After covering upcoming election, there are often no contests that require casting a activities, the meeting concluded at 8:30 pm. ballot, but if a vote is necessary, Richard stated that Molly Williams had offered the use of Survey Monkey.
In further New Business, Richard proposed doing an online version of his Introduction to Amateur Astronomy lecture series. Details were discussed, and continuing a meeting time of 1-3 pm on selected Saturdays was preferred by the Board. Richard also floated the idea of an Astrophotography Interest Group. The proposal was interesting to the board members, and Richard said that he would survey the membership at The KAS Board held a meeting via Zoom on September 13, large. Don expressed a wish to get together with other 2020. Those present were President Richard Bell, Joe members to do Astronomical League Observing Programs Comiskey, Dave Garten, Scott Macfarlane, Jack Price, Don like the double star program, which would also fall within Stilwell, and Roger Williams. The meeting began at 5:05 pm the Special Interest Group umbrella. with the Treasurer’s Report. Don had e-mailed the figures for examination a day ahead, so the report was accepted with A short discussion was held of the general meeting schedule minor discussion. One point of note was that we were still for 2021, assuming the use of Zoom for the first 3 months getting new members, with numbers nearing our historic and waiting to see what happens next. The final item to be highs. New membership dues and merchandise sales were discussed was a revision of the guidelines for using Owl generating more than enough to pay for the Zoom account. Observatory. Richard shared the current guidelines, and possible changes were suggested. Further ideas were invited Richard gave a quick review of planned September-October to be submitted by e-mail. With no other business, the events, including a Member-Only Observing Session on meeting was adjourned at 6:05 pm. The next meeting was set September 26th and a general meeting on October 2nd, for October 11th at 5 pm. planned to be Astrophotography Night. Since Zoom screen sharing was a new application for Dave, he made a quick test Respectfully submitted by Roger Williams
Prime Focus Page 3 October 2020 I have been planning various observatories for many moons pits for concrete corner anchors. They have ½” threaded rod so now I have fulfilled a lifelong dream. I had trees and with coupling nuts on top. Each plywood corner is bolted street/house lights when I lived in Michigan. Lots of time through the blocks into the coupling nuts. The whole project was spent just setting up and I was dreaming of a time when is screwed and bolted together and smoothly operates I would have better viewing and fewer hassles. The 8’ manually. Any future owner could easily sell it and build a ExploraDome observatory on a 10’×10’ building at the different observatory. The cemented corner anchors are Charlotte Amateur Astronomy Club’s Gayle H. Riggsbee below grade. My 4” pipe pier is on three 2” pipe legs that I Observatory (GHRO) Observatory near Taxahaw, SC have been using for 20 years. It fits in the 3’ square center pit provided the ideal dimensions for my New Mexico location that has 3 support blocks and split cover boards. I fitted and telescope(s). outdoor carpet to the floor. The inside corners have modified IKEA storage cabinets and 120 VAC small lights. The 5” I ordered a 10’ × 10’ metal frame with 8’ polyethylene dome. Astro-Physics refractor was purchased 25 years ago and is on ExploraDome’s website shows more sizes and options. I the A-P 400 QMD GEM. I clip on to 12 Volt batteries to run have a flat gravel building pad for my new house so a the mount. Email me for more details. Observatory separate observatory gravel pad was added. The desert dimensions: terrain is compressed dust and caliche rock. The building pad gravel is necessary for any building base. I laid a square rim Door: 46” H, 36” W of 8’×8’×16’ cement blocks around the 10’ perimeter and a Slot: 27” W 3’×3’ interior rim for the pier to ground contact. I My pier height is 45”, can be changed with ±4” pipe constructed a ¾” plywood floor on top of this square donut. South Declination limit: -40° 2×2s were screwed around the floor rim. I dug four 18” deep My astronomy projects are now very efficient. I can wake up at 3am, walk out, open up and be observing Jupiter at 157× in less than 2 minutes, or I can dove bar mount my 8” f/4 NRT or 7” f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain on the A-P mount. I still have the original A-P tripod if I want some unique outside observing or photos. I don’t spend a lot of time in the observatory unless I have visitors – I host a “Planet Party” every summer for my astronomy “village people.” They have large ‘scopes and do mostly galaxy gawking. I have been here for 3 years. I shoot DSLR of comets on the 8”, and I do some video on planets plus filtered eyepiece viewing of Ganymede for example. Many details on Mars were great last opposition. Moon craters on video are like a drone flyover. We recently viewed the Mercury transit, and I am prepared for sunspots and solar hydrogen-alpha – whenever. I have telephoto lenses that are ideal for deep sky.
New Mexico Astronomy Village (NMAV) Charles, Mike, and I do the monthly constellation tour at the local state parks with telescopes. I bring my 8” f/4 on a small Orion GEM for 40×203 deep sky views for the campers at a dark site. Did I mention weather and conditions? About 25 clear nights a month here – less during monsoon summer, B+ or better seeing and transparency, 360° open horizon, 6th magnitude typical. The dome protects from dust and wind and doesn’t leak - 9 inches of rain per year. No #&%@ mosquitoes!!
NMAV presently has 10 domes and 3 roll-off observatories. All of which are custom matched to the owner’s observing program. Two more domes are under construction, and four new residents are planning observatories as well. Several lots are owned by astronomers who haven’t yet retired so there will be more observatories in the future.
When I had the opportunity to purchase or build an observatory, I had my whole observing program established. I built the observatory first – then the new house. The
Prime Focus Page 4 October 2020 October, my second favorite month of the year, is here (July being tops). Daytime temperatures are still overall very pleasant and tree leaves change from summer green to autumn reds, yellows, and oranges before falling to the ground. The number of cloudy nights begin to increase, but when it is clear there’s a crisper feeling in the air. The nighttime temperatures are also typically low enough to keep potentially virus-carrying mosquitoes away, but we don’t have to dress like an Eskimo just yet!
observatory is all manual, simple, and functional. Because I Yes, October is my second favorite month, but it’s when we have used my telescopes on a pier for many years I have all hold my favorite meeting of the year - Astrophotography the accessories installed. I can do efficient observing without Night. I’m not sure when Astrophotography Night got wasted setup time. I recommend others follow this successful started, but it’s one of our oldest traditions. It gives the sky sequence. shooters of the KAS a chance to show off their best work from the past year or so and hopefully inspire others to take General Observatory Analysis up our “hobby within a hobby.” For the first time in many Location, weather, and observing conditions are very years, I’m not sure I’ll have any photos to share this year. important. Mountain tops are best, but the rest of us need I’ve done lots of imaging with both the Remote and Ashby water, electric, and Walmart etc. That is why we have Telescope, but haven’t had time to process them. portable telescopes and travel to the best observing sites like Fortunately, several members told me they’ll have photos to star parties. Those are our limitations when we are share. Holding Astrophotography Night via Zoom shouldn’t employed. Most of us rarely get to see or use a small affect the tradition too much as sharing screens is pretty observatory let alone get to compare several different ones in easy. And don’t worry, we can continue our odd tradition of the dark. wishing ill upon those that share extraordinarily good images. Although that tradition has been limited to Mike Most observatories are customized for the owner’s telescope Sinclair and myself. Everyone else has been more polite. and observing program. There is no “one size fits all.” Most Cassegrains on a pier will “fit” into an 8’ dome, but Some members have asked if the ongoing pandemic has additional space is required for accessory equipment which given me a chance to take it easy from my work in the KAS. must fit in a smoothly operating observatory. Longer In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. I’ve tried to enhance refractors may re- recent issues of Prime Focus, redesigned the website during quire a 10’ dome. the shutdown, and helped complete the upgrades to Owl Dobsonians usually Observatory. The really good news is that I’ve also been need a roll-off roof busy welcoming many new KAS members recently. We’re and concrete base currently at 161 paid memberships; not bad for a group that pad. Exceptions do can’t hold many in-person activities. We’ve got a good exist with unique chance of beating the 2018 high of 166. Catching up to or telescopes and ob- beating our all time high of 179 memberships (in 2017) is serving plans. probably out of reach...for now.
Problems in the dark More recently, I’ve been getting ready to hold another season are common like of viewing sessions with the Remote Telescope. The in- batteries will quit person “Remote Viewing Sessions” will now give way to and you will snag wires. Motors and automation involve “Online Viewing Sessions.” To be clear, this isn’t because many wires and repair/test access. You need room for you of the pandemic. This is the way I wanted to do them all and your head at the eyepiece. You also need additional along. Attendance for the remote sessions was okay, but room for your camera, tele-extenders, filter wheel, finder, never spectacular. Hardly any public turned out. Perhaps and wire dress. You will be sighting in the finder, changing they’re just too different. There’s no looking through eyepieces, operating the camera, climbing a ladder, then eyepieces and enjoying the nighttime ambiance. I don’t running the laptop. If something isn’t working – repeat know if the online sessions will be any more successful, but without bonking your head on the counterweights. Sounds they’re potentially open to a MUCH larger audience. To that like fun! The former are examples of what I mean by “fit.” end, I recently spent a big chunk of one weekend contacting Additionally, most observers find that rolling cabinets, an over 70 different astronomy clubs in Michigan, Illinois, adjustable observing seat, red lights on a switch, small light Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. on the laptop keyboard, red filters, power sockets, tools in a Let’s hope we get to meet many amateurs from the Great drawer, atlas/charts, are useful items. Lakes region on Zoom.
Prime Focus Page 5 October 2020 The 2020/2021 Season of
Online Viewing Sessions will u lize the KAS Remote Telescope located under the dark desert skies of southeastern Arizona. A endees will view images of deep-sky objects captured with the system’s CCD cameras in Arizona, transmi ed to par cipant’s computer, tablet, and smart phone screens in southwest Michigan and around the world. Images acquired during each session will be made available for download. If weather condi ons necessitate a cancella on there will be a second “cloud date” scheduled the following Saturday. Postponement or cancella on informa on will be posted on kasonline.org
2020/2021 Season Schedule
PRIMARY DATE CLOUD DATE TIME
November 7th November 14th 8:30 pm December 5th December 12th 8:30 pm January 9th January 19th 9:00 pm February 6th February 13th 9:00 pm
Held Online via Zoom
Presented by the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society NASA Night Sky Notes... Observe the Skies Near Mars
by David Prosper
October is a banner month for Mars observers! October 6th sketch the background stars and plot Mars as you observe it marks the day Mars and Earth are at closest approach, a once night after night, or set up a photographic series to track this -every-26-months event. A week later, on October 13th, Mars motion. Does the planet move at the same rate night after is at opposition and up all night. Mars is very bright this night, or is it variable? As you observe its motion, note how month, and astronomers are eager to image and directly Mars’s brightness changes over time. When does Mars observe details on its disc; however, don’t forget to look at appear at its most brilliant? the space around the planet, too! By doing so, you can observe the remarkable retrograde motion of Mars and find a NASA has tons of great Mars-related resources! Want to few nearby objects that you may otherwise overlook. know more about apparent retrograde motion? NASA has an explainer at Mars in our Night Sky. Find great observing tips Since ancient times, Mars stood out to observers for its in JPL’s “What’s Up?” videos. Check out detailed views dramatic behavior. Usually a noticeable but not overly bright with NASA’s HiRISE satellite, returning stunning closeups object, its wandering path along the stars showed it to be a of the Martian surface since 2006. NASA’s Curiosity Rover planet instead of a fixed star. Every couple of years, this red will be joined in a few months by the Perseverance Rover, planet would considerably flare up in brightness, for brief launched in late July to take advantage of the close approach times becoming the brightest planet in the sky before of Mars and Earth, a launch window that opens two dimming back down. At these times, Mars would also appear years. Calculate the ideal launch window yourself with this to slow down its eastward motion, stop, then reverse and handy guide. The Night Sky Network‘s Exploring Our Solar head westward against the stars for a few weeks, before System handout invites you to chart the positions of the again stopping and resuming its normal eastward movement. planets in the Solar System, and NSN coordinator Jerelyn This change in the planet’s movement is called “apparent Ramirez recently contributed an update featuring Mars retrograde motion.” While all of the planets will appear to opposition! You can download both versions on our undergo retrograde motion when observed from Earth, Outreach Resources page. Young astronomers can find many Mars’s retrograde appearances may be most dramatic. Mars Mars resources and activities on NASA’s Space Place Mars retrograde motion in 2020 began on September 10th, and page. Here’s to clear skies and good seeing for Mars’s best ends on November 16th. You can observe its motion with appearance until 2033! your eyes, and it makes for a fun observing project! You can ♂
(left) If you are paying this much attention to Mars, you’re likely curious about the skies surrounding it! Find Mars in the constellation Pisces, with constellations Aries, Triangu- lum, and Cetus nearby. Aries may be the only one of these dimmer patterns readily visible from light-polluted areas. The Pleiades rises shortly after Mars. Dim Uranus is found close by, in Aries. If you are observing Mars up close, use the same eyepiece to check out Uranus’s tiny blue-green disc. If you are uncertain whether you spotted Uranus, you didn’t see it! Unlike stars, Uranus doesn’t resolve to a point at high magnifications.
(right) The path of Mars during the last five months of 2020. Notice the retrograde motion from September 10 to November 16, with prime Mars observing time found in between. October 6 is the day of closest approach of Earth and Mars, “just” 38.6 million miles apart. Images created with help from Stellarium.
Prime Focus Page 7 October 2020 — October Night Sky —
This star map is property of the This map represents the sky at the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. NORTH following local standard mes: However, you may make as many • Early September 11 pm copies as you wish free-of- charge, so long as it is for non- • Late September 10 pm profit educa onal purposes and • Early October 9 pm full credit is given to the KAS. • Late October Dusk www.kasonline.org EAST WEST
SOUTH
ars takes center stage in October. opposition with the Sun on October 13th the early morning hours of October 21st. M The Red Planet’s opening act is and will be visible the entire night. No interference from the Moon as it set rising in tandem with the nearly full the evening before. Expect about 15 Moon on the evening of October 2nd. In non-fourth planet highlights, a narrow meteors per hour at its peak. Orionids are When they rise the two worlds will be 2° waning crescent Moon appears 7° to the fragments of Halley’s Comet itself. apart. Mars will be nearest Earth on lower left of Venus before dawn on October 6th and reach its maximum October 14th. Always a pretty sight! A first quarter Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn angular diameter of 22.6˝ - the largest it’ll form a tight isosceles triangle on the be until the year 2035. Mars is at The Orionid meteor shower peaks during evening of October 22nd. October 2020 Page 9 PRESIDENT Richard S. Bell 25×100 Binoculars Available for Loan VICE PRESIDENT Jack Price pend your clear nights scanning the S Milky Way for star clusters and TREASURER nebulae with our NEW Orion 25×100 Don S lwell GiantView Binoculars - held steady on Orion's Monster Parallelogram Mount. An SECRETARY/ALCOR extension for taller members and a dew Roger Williams suppression system is included.
Visit the Telescopes for Loan webpage PUBLICITY MANAGER and contact KAS Equipment Manager Arya Joe Comiskey Jaya laka today if you’d like borrow it.
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Dave Garten
Sco Macfarlane Introduction to Amateur Astronomy
Aaron Roman The five-part lecture series that will turn you into a star-hopping sky master returns star ng rd E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER January 23 . For the first me ever, the lecture series will be offered online via Zoom. Registrants will be provided with the mee ng ID and password, along with comprehensive notes for each installment of the series. Only those par cipants that a end ALL FIVE parts will receive a Cer ficate of Comple on.
REGISTER TODAY
Join your fellow KAS members for a pleasant evening under the stars. To ensure the safety of all that a end, we ask everyone to adhere to the following guidelines: • All a endees are required to wear a mask or other form of facial covering whenever in close proximity to others. • Maintain at least 6 feet of physical distancing between other a endees whenever possible. • Eyepieces and high-touch surfaces (such as focusers) will be sani zed a er each use. Members bringing their own equipment are required to provide sani zing wipes. • If you have a cough or are feeling ill, please stay at home.
October 10th & 24th @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Nature Center • 7000 N. Westnedge Ave. General Meeting Preview
The tradition continues! Every October the general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society is devoted to astrophotography, the art of photographing the night sky. Over the years, KAS shutterbugs have traveled to exotic places, ascended to dizzying heights, or just hung out at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and other locales, working the graveyard shift with their impressive array of camera gear. Now they are ready to show their artistic wares. So come on out for what always proves to be one of our best meetings of the year!
Friday, October 2 @ 7:00 pm
Held Online via Zoom Credit: Richard Bell
Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC STAMP 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008
© October 2020, Stargazer Productions