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Newsletter Archive the Skyscraper January 2017 the vol. 44 no. 01 Skyscraper January 2017 AMATEUR ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF RHODE ISLAND 47 PEEPTOAD ROAD NORTH SCITUATE, RHODE ISLAND 02857 WWW.THESKYSCRAPERS.ORG In This Issue: Saturday, January 7, 7:00pm 2 President’s Message at North Scituate Community Center 3 Sean P. Padell Dye Hill Observatory – The Rubbermaid Wonder 4 In Memory of Astronaut John Glenn Conrad Cardano will talk about his de- Conrad has been an amateur astrono- cision and methods to take a Rubbermaid mer for almost 50 years and a Skyscrapers 5 The Sun, Moon & toolshed and turn it into a one-person ob- member for 30 years. As a boy growing up Planets in January servatory. We are all very familiar with the in Maryland, he had a roll-off roof observa- wooden observatories at Seagrave and the tory for his 6" reflector. He studied astron- 6 Astronomical Highlights of 2017 expensive ones advertised in Sky & Tele- omy and physics at the University of Mary- 6 Including the Great American scope. Much though had to go into this land in the 1970's, but became a computer Total Solar Eclipse because it was never made to be an ob- programmer for the State of Rhode Island. servatory. He will show how his modifica- Over the last ten years, he has gone way 8 Big Science in Small Packages tions to the toolshed made it into a usable past the casual observing with his telescope observatory, all for around $1200. There and concentrated on areas like stellar spec- 10 Open Cluster in Perseus is nothing more convenient than hav- troscopy with cameras and telescopes, so- NGC 1545 ing your telescope in a permanent place. lar observing with a Lunt Hydrogen-Alpha scope and CCD imaging. Skyscrapers Board Meetings Third Monday of the Month All Members Welcome Phases of the Moon First Quarter Moon January 5 19:47 Full Wolf Moon Seagrave Memorial Observatory January 12 11:34 Open Nights Last Quarter Moon January 19 22:13 Saturdays at 7:00 pm New Moon weather permitting January 28 00:07 President’s Message by Steve Siok It is with a heavy heart that I must tell bulk order. Minor adjustments are made to Island. This is a new way for us to be in- you that member Jeff Padell lost his son these telescopes by a local society to ensure volved in educational outreach, which is Sean this month to a sudden illness. Sean that they are user-friendly to inexperienced our prime goal. A program like this will was a teacher and an EMT. He had recently observers. The current cost of this modified start small and grow as the interest and joined Skyscrapers. Sean was an outdoors- telescope is $375. Training is provided to support grows. However, this is still in the man and enjoyed writing and drawing. the library staff and a video and instruc- discussion phase. We need to find out if Please join me in offering our deepest con- tions are available to those who check out there is sufficient interest in the libraries in dolences. the scope. The library takes care of every- our state. I am asking you, as a Skyscrap- For a couple of months the Board of thing relating to the lending and respon- er member, to help out by approaching a Directors has been discussing the "Library sibility for the instrument. The astronomy library near your home to see if there is in- Telescope Program". The idea was first -in group is called upon to make adjustments terest in participating to consider being an troduced by Francine Jackson, who has to the instruments from time to time and to ambassador to that library if and when the been involved with a project at the Cum- be a resource. program is started. berland Library. There are also three loner I would like to issue a challenge to help Individuals, companies and organiza- telescopes at the Greenville Library. At the get this program off the ground in Rhode tions provide the monies for each telescope December Board meeting, Steve Hubbard and donor names are shown on each in- invited John Root, from the Aldrich As- strument. These donations are fully tax-de- tronomical Society in Worcester, to speak ductible. Kathy & I are willing to donate to about the nearly 100 library telescope pro- Skyscrapers the costs for two telescopes and grams that he manages in Massachusetts. will contact the North Kingstown and East Aldrich is a sister society to Skyscrapers, Greenwich libraries to determine their in- having also been founded in 1932. John ex- terest. plained how the program, which was start- I welcome your thoughts are comments ed by the New Hampshire Astronomical about this new project. Please feel free to Society, is structured. contact me at [email protected]. This program, that is being promoted I extend a Happy New Year to all and by the Astronomical League, is currently look forward to seeing each of you at our in libraries around the United States. Local winter meetings at the Community Center. libraries that agree to be involved will be Steve Siok - President, Skyscrapers given one or more Orion StarBlast 4.5 inch Astro Reflectors. These off the shelf tele- Steve Siok is president of Skyscrap- scopes are purchased from Cornerstones ers, Inc. See more at http://www. in Science of Brunswick Maine as part of a theskyscrapers.org/steve-siok The Skyscraper is published President Public Outreach Coordinator monthly by Skyscrapers, Inc. Steve Siok [email protected] Francine Jackson [email protected] Meetings are held monthly, usually on the first or second 1st Vice President Public Relations Spokesperson Friday or Saturday of the month. Ian Dell’Antonio [email protected] Francine Jackson [email protected] Seagrave Memorial Observatory is open every Saturday night, 2nd Vice President Observatory Committee Chairperson weather permitting. Kathy Siok [email protected] Jim Crawford [email protected] Directions Secretary Membership Activities Coordinator Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory are Steve Hubbard [email protected] Pat Landers [email protected] located on the back page of this newsletter. Submissions Treasurer Librarian Submissions to The Skyscraper are always welcome. Lloyd Merrill [email protected] Alex Bergemann [email protected] Please submit items for the newsletter no later than January 15 to Jim Hendrickson, 1 Sunflower Circle, Members at Large Historian North Providence, RI 02911 or e-mail to jim@ Tracy Prell [email protected] Dave Huestis [email protected] distantgalaxy.com. Linda Bergemann [email protected] Archivist E-mail subscriptions To receive The Skyscraper by e-mail, send e-mail Trustees Jim Crawford [email protected] with your name and address to jim@distantgalaxy. Jim Crawford [email protected] Editor com. Note that you will no longer receive the news- Matt Ouellette [email protected] Jim Hendrickson [email protected] letter by postal mail. Kent Cameron [email protected] 2 The Skyscraper January 2017 Sean P. Padell 1987-2016 Sean P. Padell, age 29, passed away on while his father was Ben Cartwright. He Padell of East Walpole. Tuesday, December 13, 2016, surrounded learned the guitar and keyboard (self- Loving longtime boyfriend of Quadasha by his loving family. Born in Norwood, taught) and enjoyed writing and drawing as "Q" Petit of Walpole. Massachusetts on November 16, 1987, he well as having an interest in Astronomy and Also survived by many Aunts, Uncles, was raised in East Walpole. As a young boy, was a recent member of the Rhode Island and Cousins. Sean enjoyed traveling with his family to Astronomical Society. visit his grandparents in Tampa, Florida Cherished son of Jeffrey M. and Susan and loved visiting Disney World. Sean was C. (Carrigan) Padell. active in the Cub Scouts and later the Boy Devoted brother of Joseph M. Padell Scouts of America and was always prepared and his wife Meg of Franklin and Daniel C. for a camping trip to Sebago Lake with his family. He loved being outdoors and be- came a Youth Member of the Wrentham Sportsmans Club, where he enjoyed fishing and archery. While competing in a 3-D ar- chery shoot at the club, he earned 1st Place in the Youth Division. Sean also enjoyed playing youth soccer in Walpole for many years as well as catching a round of golf with his Dad at the Foxboro Country Club. Sean graduated from Walpole High School with the Class of 2005 and contin- ued his studies at Massasoit Community College. Drawing on the archery skills that he learned as a young boy, Sean taught ar- chery and was a range master at the Hale Reservation for many years. While work- ing toward his undergraduate degree, Sean taught himself how to snowboard and spent a season working at the Blue Hills Ski Area. He later transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Boston, where in 2011 he earned his Bachelor's Degree, majoring in Biology. After graduating from UMass, he took an EMT Course in 2008, earning his Basic EMT License. Sean went to work for Fallon Ambulance in 2009, where he developed lifelong friendships. He achieved certification in Urban Search and Rescue. Sean returned to UMass Boston, enroll- ing in a Master's Degree Program, to earn a degree in Education. He was a student teacher at Charlestown High School as a part of the program and was awarded his Masters this year. He loved teaching and served as a substitute teacher in the Bos- ton Public Schools and as a STEM teacher at the Independent Institute in Brockton. Sean also served as a long term substitute at Walpole High School in the Spanish De- partment, teaching himself the language as he went.
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