Observe—Educate—Have Fun The April–May 2018 Sidereal Times

The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society P.O. Box 50581, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-0581 www.TAAS.org

taas — 2011 winner of astronomy magazine’s out-of-this-world award for outstanding public programming since 1959

General Meeting News Lynne Olson

Orion over Bachechi Open Space, March 2017

BACHECHI OPEN SPACE PUBLIC PARTY FRIDAY, MAY 4TH - 7:00-10:00PM NASA Image RIO GRANDE AND ALAMEDA TAAS GENERAL MEETING Free and open to the public SATURDAY, APRIL 28TH - 7:00PM TAAS ASTRONOMY 101: Opera Glass Astronomy SATURDAY, APRIL 28TH - 6:00pm SCIENCE AND MATH Bernalillo County, the Bachechi Open SCIENCE & MATH LEARNING CENTER Space and TAAS are again co-hosting a pub- LEARNINGTESS: Transiting CENTER, ExoplanetUNM CAMPUS UNM CAMPUS lic star party on the evening of May 4. Free andSurvey Open Satellite to the Public We will begin with a talk by TAAS chief sci- entist Dr. Barry Spletzer at 7:00pm, so plan to arrive well in advance to park and get a The topic for this meeting’s speakers, Pe- Prior to the start of the TAAS General seat in the Education Building. Sunset is at ter Sinclair and Farzin Farzam, is “TESS: Meeting on April 28, Phil Fleming will be 7:48pm, and observing will start at 8:00, Transiting Survey Satellite” – the speaker for Astronomy 101, our series with TAAS telescopes showing the objects NASA’s new mission to discover planets of presentations on astronomy basics. of the late spring skies and members always orbiting other and to explore their Phil’s topic will be miniature binoculars – ready to share their knowledge and exper- conditions for possible life. This two-year opera glasses – inspired by a book by Gar- tise. project has been in the works for sev- ret P. Serviss published in 1888. Activities for the younger set will also be eral years and was was launched atop a He will cover the development, basic in the Education Building, including making SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Cape Canaveral optics and modern-day improvements to Star Wheels (planispheres from TAAS) to Air Force Station on Wednesday, April 18. these aids to astronomy. Many find these use and take home; light refreshments will This is the follow-up to the earlier Ke- helpful, with their low magnification, for be provided by the County team. continued on page 3 . . . pler/K2 program,continued which discovered on page 2 ap-. . . observing the stars and their associated You may enter off of Riocontinued Grande, on with page very 3 . . .

Public Star Party Public Star Party New Moon/Picnic Fri., May 4 Oak Flat Picnic Area Sat., May 19 Bachechi Open Space Sat., May 12 GNTO 7:00–10:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. til late

INSIDE 2...... Oak Flat Season Opener 4...... Astrophoto: Light at GNTO 8...... Astrophoto: The Medusa 2...... Telescope Loan Update 6...... Astrophoto: Markarian’s Chain 9...... TAAS Reports & Notices 3...... Under the Dome 7...... Sketching Stars 10...... TAAS Directors & Staff The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

Telescope Loan Program Update

by Jim Fordice, Telescope Loan Coordinator

Looking for a new Loan Ranger: I took over the Loan Program Manager (aka Loan Ranger) duties from Barry Spletzer about four years ago. I have greatly enjoyed expanding and improving the program, getting to meet many of our new members, and helping TAAS members to learn about the different types of telescopes. Oak Flat Public Star Party, June 2016 The time has come for me to turn over the loan program to someone else so that Photo by Martin Hilario I can focus on other aspects of TAAS. The program is in excellent condition and Oak Flat Season Opener OAK FLAT PUBLIC STAR PARTY is fairly easy to run though it does take some time to arrange and complete the SATURDAY, MAY 12 - 6:00pm TIL LATE telescope package issuances and returns. The inventory value of the program is OAK FLAT PICNIC GROUNDS over $40,000. (9 miles south of Tijeras on NM 337) The new Loan Ranger will start with a Loan Program Fund of $492.22 that is used for repairs, parts, and acquisition of new items. In addition, there are 10 donated telescopes and two Night Sky Observer’s Guides ready for the annual Our always popular first Oak Flat Public auction that should generate $500 to $1000 in additional funds. Star Party of the summer series begins at 6pm, with sunset at 7:56. Plan to arrive For the last four years Barry Spletzer has served as the program’s repairman well before then to park and orient your- (aka Tonto). Barry has agreed to continue in that role. selves to the layout of our event.

If you are interested in assuming the Loan Ranger duties, please contact me at Parking will be at the Juniper and Yucca [email protected] or 505-803-3640. continued on page 4 . . . lots (Yucca has the restrooms). The main access to the observing field will be through the picnic area trail from Juniper, ...General Meeting News and backtracking to the dirt road from continued from page 1 trobites.org), the online “Reader’s Digest” parking for Yucca. We will have red path- for astronomy and space science. After way lights to guide you along both paths. completing his degree, he plans to pursue Please bring only red lights for the view- astronomy outreach as a full-time career. ing field to prevent loss of night vision proximately 2,700 from 2009 (you can rubber band red cellophane over Farzin, a Ph.D. candidate in the Optical until present. Unlike Kepler, TESS will fo- your regular flashlights and remove to Science and Engineering program (OSE) cus on nearby stars, looking for Earth and find way back to car. When you are on the at UNM’s Department of Physics and As- Super-Earth-sized planets; it is expected field, find a place along the edges, if you tronomy, received his bachelor’s degree in to catalog over 1,500 exo-planet candi- have chairs or blanket, and do not set up physics from the University of Tehran. This dates. in the middle of the field as it is danger- summer, he will join the University of Mas- ous and rocky in places, and cars with sachusetts medical school as a postdoc to Our speakers, Peter Sinclair and Farzin scopes will be coming and going. Be care- work on the genetic model C. Elegance to Farzam, are both members of NASA/JPL’s ful of uneven ground on the field. Solar System Ambassadors, knowledgeable investigate RNA interference therapeutics volunteers who share details of NASA’s on genetic diseases. He is also a cinephile TAAS telescopes are the real stars of the space exploration missions with their com- and a literary translator from English to event (other than those in the sky, of munities nationwide. Farsi, and has translated and published course). Vehicles with telescopes can ac- four books, two by Japanese author Haruki cess the field as usual via the dirt road Peter is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Murakami. between the “T” and Yucca, being careful astronomy program at the University of of the two steel posts on either side of New Mexico’s Physics and Astronomy De- the entrance, driving slowly and setting up partment. He joined UNM after completing around the perimeter. Please arrive well a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics at Wash- before dark and let someone know when you are leaving so they can help you leave ington State University. He is a member of Observe – Educate – Have Fun - Lynne Olson the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors, and a safely. contributor to Astrobites (http://www.as- Page 2 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018 Under the Dome Notes from and about GNTO Jim Fordice

March 16 – Messier Marathon Night #1 March 18 – Marathon Night #3:

: utilized his 18" Dobsonian and was also Dee Friesen was the Opener. He arrived at I was the Opener for Night #3. Unfortu- interested in Canes Venatici. Alan Scott, 5 p.m. and met Bill Wallace at the gate. Bill nately, this was by far the worst night of viewing with his 20" Dobsonian, worked is making a good recovery from his by- the three. When I arrived at 6 p.m. the on a double star search and the Herschel pass surgery.0 On arrival, the temperature wind was 25 mph with gusts to 36 mph. 400 program. Kevin McKeown spent much was 62 F, the wind was 10 to 15 mph, I closed the site at 7:30 p.m. after no one time in the wonders of planetary and there was 25 % cloud0 cover. By 7 p.m. else showed up (showing good sense on and investigations for the Astronomical the temperature was 58 F, the wind was everyone’s part). I enjoyed seeing the League of ultra-high contrast objects. down to 5 to 10 mph, but the sky was Moon and Venus on my left shoulder as I 85% covered with more clouds moving in. drove home. Mercury was also visible. It Bridget de Saint Phalle, with road map in I had arrived a bit earlier and Dee and I Marchwas a lovely 19 – Specialsight. Observing Session hand and a loaner 6" Orion Dobsonian, was determined that Night #1 would be a non- not fazed by the level of sophistication and observing evening. We closed the facility : endeavored to search the heavens for stars at 7:45 p.m. with complete cloud cover and Jim Kaminski and Martin Hilario teamed and faint nebulas. Susan Evans, a first-time headed to Penny’s Diner to enjoy a milk- up to open the site on 19 March. Joining observer, was razzle-dazzled by all of the Marchshake. 17 – Marathon Night #2: them was Kevin McKeown, Melissa Kirk, group’s telescopes (with lots of oohs and MarchFernando 20 Torres,– Special and Observing Bob Fugate. Session aahs) and by Gordon Pegue who was inter- ested in the trio-in-Leo. Both were observ- Will Ferrell was the Opener. He opened the : ing and having fun. site about0 5:30 p.m. with the temperature Vance Ley opened the site on 20 March to at 67 F, winds at 15 mph with gusts to 20 do some imaging. Jim Roucis joined him. Myself, I enjoyed the greatcontinued weather on page and 5 . . . mph, and cloud cover at 20%. Vance reported that it was the best night ...Bachechi Open Space he has had at GNTO in a while. The clouds Although winds were brisk, a dozen ob- were few and far between, the tempera- Star Party servers settled down to start observing. A ture comparatively mild, and the seeing continued from page 1 number of people took part in the Messier good-to-average. Vance collected data in Marathon. It reminded Will of when he the imaging dome. Jim Roucis observed first started and there were masses of peo- with his large Dobsonian. The seeing dete- limited parking there, or walk from the ple enthusiastically doing the Marathon. riorated by midnight. Jim drove home, and expansive parking lot off Alameda the Attendees were Alan Scott, Viola Sanchez, Vance decamped to the Ortega building. He Open Space. (TAAS members with tele- Jon Schuchardt, Eric Edwards, Martin Hi- Aprilclosed 7 the – 3 siterd Quarter after sunrise. Moon Observing scopes should enter by Rio Grande and be lario, Melissa Kirk, Kevin McKeown, Paul Session: directed to the observing area to park and Pulaski, Nena Iriarte, Mike Molitor, and unload.) Vance Ley. See www.taas.org for more info Lynneand a mapOlson Mike Fuge was the Opener. He reported: to Bachechi. About 9:30 p.m. Mike noted that the wind The daring individuals who defied the ...Astronomy 101— was picking up. The clouds crept in at the ominous forecast of “too-much-wind” were continued from page 1 western horizon. Will went to the Cocina treated to a wonderful evening of warm to eat something and when he came out, temperatures, very light breezes, and great there was 30% cloud cover. At 10:30 p.m. observing. Everyone in attendance enjoyed . Quoting Serviss, “Surely there was 75% coverage. the attempts to locate and observe the there is not another field of human con- Horsehead Nebula. The Zodiacal light phe- templation so wondrously rich as astron- Most everyone departed soon after. Vance nomenon and the Milky Way showed up at omy! It is so easy to reach, so responsive decided to spend the night and closed the 9:30 p.m. for the party. to every mood, so stimulating, uplifting, site in the morning. Most of the observ- abstracting and infinitely consoling.” ers recorded around 30 objects before the Jim Fordice brought an 8" Meade SCT on Phil is a member of the International An- clouds took over. a Celestron Equatorial Mount controlled tique Telescope Society and a studentLynne Olsonof using SkySafari on his iPad. Will Ferrell astronomical lore. — Page 3 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society

von, martin, and edgar The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

The General Nathan Twining Observatory We have met the enemy and he is us. At this rate the City of Albuquerque will be complaining about the GNTO light dome. Made from one hour of 5 minute exposures (16 mm at f/4 and ISO 400), stacked in StarStax with dark frames. —Vance Ley

...Telescope Loan Program Update continued from page 3

Update: There were no significant changes • Orion 12x63 Mini-Giant Binoculars (Mir- to the Loan Program Inventory in the last ror Mount) month. 86% of the telescopes are on loan but • Orion 20x80 Binoculars with Parallelo- feel free to ask for whichever telescope you gram Mount want. In most cases you will have it with a • Meade 10” Starfinder Dobsonian week or so. The telescopes that are immedi- ately available (as of 10 April) are: In addition, there are premium eyepieces, filter sets, and many other useful accessories • 10” Discovery Dobsonian available. Check out the full inventory on the • Celestron 80mm ED Refractor TAAS Website. Loan Program Statistics # of Scopes # on Loan # Available % on Loan 42 36 6 86%

Type: Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics 23 7 12

Size: Large (>8") Medium (5"-8") Small (<5") 12 17 13

Tracking: Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11

As of: 4/10/18

Page 4 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

...Under the Dome continued from page 3 through Cassiopeia and Ursa Minor before Don’t forget that the GNTO Observing fading in Ursa Major. Vance spent much Field is available for use by TAAS members of his time troubleshooting controller-to- anytime. Check the TAAS website for the mount communication problems. Jim R. procedure to follow. Contact me if you have searched for out-of-the-way in any questions. Virgo. Bridget practiced her star-hopping skills in finding the Perseus Double Cluster As always, check TAAS_Talk and the TAAS and Jim K. hunted some peculiar-looking website for last-minute changes and up- Upcomingfaint fuzzes Events: (galaxies). dates. GNTO events are open to all TAAS • members and their guests. rd May 12: 3 Quarter Moon Observ- GNTO Director: [email protected] or 505- • ing 803-3640. May 19: New Moon Observing & GNTO Observing Field • Picnic rd June 9: 3 Quarter Moon Observ- company. I had time with my Little/Big • ing binoculars and my Jumbo Atlas and Mess- ier Marathon field book to star hop in the June 16: New Moon Observing numerous challenges before me. All good Annual Picnic: things don’t last forever, the wind did ar- rive at 11 p.m. and by 11:30 p.m. the GNTO Don’t missth the annual facility was secured. We all observed, were GNTO Picnic on May 19 ! Find details on educated, and had fun, despite the weather the TAAS Website and via TAAS_Talk. Aprilforecast. 9 - Special Observing Session:

Jim Kaminskith started the ball rolling for the April 9 Special Observing Session. Vance Ley graciously decided to open and close GNTO Sunset GNTO for this session, so when Jim arrived just after 6:30 p.m. the gate was already open. When Jim left at 5:20 a.m. Vance was still resting. Other observers included Jim Photos: Jim Fordice Roucis and Bridget de Saint Phalle, who stayed until just after midnight.

The skies were very clear but unsettled Susan Evans and Gordon Pegue (generally turbulent), and the weather forecasters got the wind mostly wrong (again). It started at 8-10 mph and in- creased a little by about 11 p.m. and did Sidereal Times publication not drop to 5 mph until 3 a.m. – when, of schedule course, Jim K. had just finished observing. Skies were mostly the usual darkness (a darkness meter/SQM-L reading of 21.5) until about 2 a.m. when they got darker In May the full moon, and therefore than Jim K. has ever seen at GNTO, a read- the TAAS general meeting will oc- ing of 21.65 and then 21.7 at about 3 a.m. cur very near the end of the month. Temperatures were in the 50s, but felt So to accommodate Luna this issue colder because of the wind. is dated April–May. We’ll Theget backEditors The evening started well just after 9 on track in June. p.m. with a view of an ISS pass traveling Will Ferrell, Kevin McKeown, and Alan Scott — Page 5 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

Markarian’s Chain – at least a part of it mm guide scope, an Orion Starshoot autoguider, and – captured at GNTO on March 20th, using imaging PhD2 software. Image acquisition consisted of 35 x 120” dome. At the bottom-center of the image is M84; at subframes. The images was processed using PixInsight. the center, M86. At the upper center of the image is NGC 4438, also known as “The Eyes.” Several I will be scheduling a training session using the Imaging other galaxies are also visible. Markarian’s Chain Dome this spring. Interested parties should email me at is part of the Virgo cluster and is located [email protected]. At most, three people (besides me) can immediately north of the Virgo. The be accommodated in the dome, so if you’re interested, let data was collected over about 1 ½ to 2 hours. me know as soon as possible. Currently, this session is fully subscribed. However, it is common for people who’ve Equipment & software: an SBIG STF 8300 camera signed up to cancel due to schedule conflicts, so let me mounted on the club C14 with a Hyperstar lens. know if you’re interested and I’ll put you on the wait list. If In this mode the instrument operates at f/1.9 and there is sufficient interest I will schedule another session. 675 mm focal length, allowing the rapid acquisition of data of wide field data. The field of view (FOV) —Vance Ley of the system is 1.5º x 1.13º. The mount is a Losmandy G11 with guiding by an Orion 400

Page 6 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

Sketching Stars by Jim Kaminski Jim Kaminski’s sunspot sketches made at Okie-Tex

I take notes when I observe: objects seen, the object and saw detail I had previously ite. First I make dots for the bright stars, weather and observing conditions, optics glossed over. And since new observations then tiny dots for dim but nearby (loca- used, and notable features. In recent years tend to obscure the memory of earlier tion-relevant) stars. I imagine triangles, I have also been making sketches, and my ones, sketches helped me recall what I’d rectangles, and arcs for locatingtortillon stars and efforts make my observing (and reminisc- seen earlier. objects. For a nebula or galaxy, I use an in- ing) more enjoyable. expensive blending stump (a , usu- At this writing I have probably made 400 ally made of rolled white paper, tapered I don’t always make a sketch; star cluster to 500 sketches, and I may have improved at the ends) to smudge the graphite into a sketches are limited to objects that have during this process, but these sketches are faint fuzzy of the desired shape, then add notable star chains or misshapen outlines my personal records, to be shared with dots for any stars or bright (or dark) areas (such as “cut” on a side, as in globular others only on rare occasions. They mostly within the nebula/galaxy/sunspot region. cluster M9 by Barnard 64, or a promi- stay in my logbooks. I always mark West on the sketch to orient nent dark lane, such as in M8, the Lagoon the viewer. That’s it. Nebula). My lack of artistry makes me I sketch on ordinary paper with a circle fearful of sketching any part of Luna. And made for the eyepiece view boundary. I I am no artist, but I think that others can when “surfing” galaxy-rich regions like use common pencil 2B lead with a soft, make equally crude (or perhaps fantastic) the Markarian Chain in Virgo or the Hydra white polymer eraser stick to fix my many sketches that will benefit their observing. I Galaxy Cluster/Supercluster (i.e. Abell/ mistakes, or to lighten a section of graph- Give it a try! ACO 1060), I generally just describe the 10 or more galaxies I stumble across. TAAS General Meeting I began sketching for my first Astronomi- cal League observing program on Double Saturday, April 28 Stars. I was terrified when I first read that Science and Math Learning Center, UNM Campus sketches were needed because I have es- 7:00 p.m. sentially ZERO artistic talent. But then I noticed that only two dots were needed on each sketch, and I figured I might be able to at least do that much. It was a real struggle for me because not only did the dots have to be different sizes (based on star bright- ness), but I also had to place them in the correct orientation with regards to North, and separate the dots as I saw them in the eyepiece. It was tedious work, but I did fin- TESS—Transiting Exoplanet ish the program. Survey Satellite

After that difficult start, I stopped sketch- ing for a time. Then I started reading Peter Sinclair and Farzin Farzam about how it forces one to study the ob- 6:00 p.m. Astronomy 101 : Opera Glass Astronomy Phil Fleming ject in more detail when observing, so I decided to sketch carbon stars (about five neighboring stars for each sketch), then sunspots and dark nebulae and finally gal- axies (especially distorted ones). The more sketches I made, the more I really studied

Page 7 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018

The Medusa Nebula – a on the analysis and thermal radiation from Radio Astronomy readings border of next to Beta Canis Minor or Gomeisa (2.9). It is downgraded it to a planetary nebula status. An O III filter is about 4 light years in size or about 8’ in the sky with a distance needed to see it in at least an 8” scope. I never saw it in my of 1,500 light from Earth. It has two other names: Sharpless Sh2- scope and used coordinates to find it. 274 and Abell 21. This was taken 3 miles north of Oak Flat on my backyard patio on Feb. 3, from dark to after 11pm MST. Three Equipment & software: ES ED127CF f/7.5, SBIG ST8300M hours total exposure. with FW5 CCD camera, iOptron CEM60 mount, Guider SBIG SG-4 on a AT72ED f/6. CCDSoft V 5.210, ImagesPlus V 5.75a, This nebula was discovered in 1955 by George Abell of UCLA. AstroArt V 6.0, PhotoShop Elements V 14, Astronomy Tools. It was first thought to be a SNR, but gas velocities from spectral —John Laning

Page 8 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018 TAAS Reports & Notices Location, Location, Location Donations to TAAS Welcome to New • Chaco Canyon• or Returning 6185’ elevation TAAS Members Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01’ 50”N 107˚ 54’ 36”W 36.03˚ -107.91˚ 36˚ 1.83’ -107˚ 54.60’ Susan Evans Steven Haas • Oak Flat• 7680’ elevation David Flores Latitude Longitude Thomas Marker 34˚ 59’ 48”N 106˚ 19’ 17”W Aldric Hill 34.99˚ -106.32˚ Amy Richman 34˚ 59.80’ -106˚ 19.28’ Neal Schneider • UNM Campus Observatory• 5180’ elevation Stacy Alan Sacco Latitude Longitude Aidan Wood 35˚ 5’ 29”N 106˚ 37’ 17”W

35.09˚ -106.62˚ 35˚ 5.48’ -106˚ 37.29’

Courtesy Pete Eschman

For security reasons, GNTO location is available by request only, so please contact Explanation of Dues and Jim Fordice, GNTO Director, for GNTO The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c) Membership information, e-mail [email protected]. (3) organization. Donations are deductible as Renewal Date charitable contributions on the donor’s federal income tax return. Membership Services Monthly Membership Report New memberships are registered for: immediately if you pay online. If you March 2018 •Membership Inquiries pay by check, your membership is reg- Membership Current Past Change •Events Information istered when your check is received by Month Month •Volunteer Opportunities the treasurer. Regular 248 246 2 Contact Bob Anderson at Family 142 142 0 Renewal notices will be sent out via [email protected] Educator 19 18 1 e-mail beginning 60 days before your Student 27 30 -3 membership expires. If your member- for: Military 1 1 0 ship is renewed before it expires or with •Membership Dues Honorary 5 5 0 in 90 days after it expires, your new ex- •Address/e-mail changes Total Members 442 442 0 piration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and Contact Doug LeGrand at your membership will be continuous. [email protected] Editor’s Note If dues payment is received more The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal TAAS than 90 days after the expiration date, Times is Friday, May 18. The newsletter P.O. Box 50581 editors’ e-mail address is you will be reinstated as a member with Albuquerque, NM 87181 [email protected] . an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment. Page 9 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times April–May 2018 2018 TAAS Board of Directors/Staff

Dale Murray, President Martin Hilario, Vice President [email protected] [email protected] 213-999-2582

BoB SHipley, Secretary Doug legranD, Treasurer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 505-559-0252 505-872-8366

roBert anDerSon, Director JiM ForDice, Director Membership Coordinator Observatory Director, [email protected] [email protected] Telescope Loan Coordinator, 505-275-1916 [email protected] 505-803-3640

toM grzyBowSki, Director BoB Havlen, Director Education Outreach Director 505-856-3306 [email protected] 505-363-9427

carl larSon, Director pHoto not gorDon pegue, Director availaBle gpegue at comcast dot net 505-332-2523

BoriS venet, Director [email protected] 505-507-7838

ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 (H) [email protected] Dark Sky Coordinator David Penasa 505-269-8717(W) [email protected] Education Outreach Trish Logan [email protected] Events Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 [email protected] Grants Coordinator Barry Spletzer 505-228-4384 (C) [email protected] Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 [email protected] Newsletter Co-Editor (Content) Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 (C) [email protected] Newsletter Co-Editor (Design) Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 (C) [email protected] Observatory Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 [email protected] Public Relations Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 [email protected] Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 [email protected] Solar Outreach Coordinator Roger Kennedy 505-314-6273 [email protected] Telescope Loan Coordinator Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 [email protected] UNM Observatory Coordinator Fernando Torres [email protected] Volunteer Coordinator Webmaster Barry Spletzer 505-228-4384 (C) [email protected]

Page 10 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Albuquerque Astronomical Society

P.O. Box 50581 Albuquerque, NM 87181-0581

“OUT-OF-THIS-wORLD” AwARD 2011 TAAS is honoredAlbuquerque to receive Magazine an TAAS isAstronomy honored to receive an “Editor’sBEST PickPLACE 2013 TO Best STARGAZE of the City” award from . from Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming. CELESTIAL EDITION

MEMBERSHIP ARTICLES/ADVERTISEMENTS TAAS ONLINE You can join TAAS or renew your Articles, personal astronomical classified TAAS website: http://www.TAAS.org membership online. Just go to www.taas. advertisements and advertisements for org and select “Join Us!” or “Renew Your businesses related to astronomy must be The TAAS website includes: Membership” from the main menu on the submitted by the deadline shown on the left side. Annual dues are $30 for a regular Society calendar (generally the Friday • Programs . . . membership, $15 for educators and active near the new Moon). Rates for commer- • TAAS 200 military, and $5 for students. Only regular cial ads (per issue) are $120 per page, $60 • TAAS Fabulous Fifty members are eligible to vote in society per half page, $30 per quarter page, $7 for • Educational Outreach: School Star matters. Our new member information business card size. The newsletter editor packet can be viewed or downloaded from reserves the right to include and/or edit Parties, Solar Astronomy Outreach the same location on the website. You can any article or advertisement. E-mail at- • Equipment Trader pay your dues on line through PayPal, by tachments in Microsoft Word or compat- • Telescope Loaner Program Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. ible word processor format; ASCII and • Telescope Making and Maintenance Sidereal Times To pay by check, mail your check to TAAS, RTF are acceptable. One space between . . . And more P.O. Box 50581, Albuquerque, NM 87181- paragraphs is preferred. One column is 0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of approximately 350 words. Contact the • Online our meetings. Newsletter Editor at [email protected] for • Calendar of TAAS Events more information.Sidereal Times • Members’ Guide MAGAZINES Note that the is no longer • Links to Astronomy Resources and mailed. It is posted on the TAAS website, Members’ Blogs TAAS no longer offers magazine www.TAAS.org. subscriptions. Send submissions or correspondence to E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]. Members’ Google Group: [email protected]