Prime Focus (10-08)

Highlights of the October Sky. . .

------1st ------Dusk: Thin crescent Moon visible low in WSW. Look PPrime Focuss 5º or 6º below Venus. A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society ------6th ------PM: Moon lower right of Jupiter. October 2008

------7th ------PM: Moon lower left of Jupiter. ThisThis MonthsMonths KAS EventsEvents ------7th ------First Quarter Moon

------14th ------General Meeting: Friday, October 3 @ 7:00 pm Full Moon Kalamazoo Math & Science Center - See Page 12 for Details ------17th ------Dawn: Mercury visible 5º Observing Session: Saturday, October 4 @ 7:00 pm above the eastern horizon until the 30th. Overwhelming Open Clusters - Kalamazoo Nature Center

st ------21st ------Board Meeting: Sunday, October 5 @ 5:00 pm Last Quarter Moon Sunnyside Church - 2800 Gull Road - All Members Welcome AM: Orionid Meteor Shower (10 -- 2020 meteorsmeteors per hour). Observing Session: Saturday, October 25 @ 7:00 pm

The Great Square - Kalamazoo Nature Center ------23rd ------Dawn: Waning Crescent Moon upper right of Alpha Leonis (Regulus).

------24th ------Dawn: Waning Crescent InsideInside thethe Newsletter.Newsletter. .. .. Moon between Saturn and Regulus. September Meeting Minutes...... p. 2

------25th ------Board Meeting Minutes...... p. 3 Dawn: Moon below Saturn Intelligent Imaging...... p. 4 ------25th ------Dusk: Venus is passing Astronomy Software...... p. 8 3½º north of Antares low inin southwest.southwest. NASA Space Place...... p. 9

------28th ------October Night Sky...... p. 10 New Moon KAS Officers & Announcements...... p. 11 ------31st ------PM: Thin crescent Moon is General Meeting Preview...... p. 12 visible 5º below Venus and leftleft ofof Antares.Antares. www.kasonline.org SeptemberSeptember MeetingMeeting MinutesMinutes

The general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society the Kuiper Belt (beyond the orbit of Neptune) or in the Oort was brought to order by President Jack Price on Friday, Sept. Cloud (which may extend half-way to the nearest star). Some 12, 2008 at 7:20 pm EDT. Approximately 40 members and comets in these regions may bump into other comets or guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Area Math & nudged by a passing star and work their way into the inner Science Center (KAMSC). solar system. These have elliptical orbits and develop long tails when near the Sun. They are partially vaporized during Our featured speaker for the evening was Dr. Arunav Kundu, each close passage Research Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Michigan State University. Dr. Kundu called his presentation Tales from the Many amateur astronomers are comet hunters. One reason is Many Tails of Comets. He began by talking about the dra- that comets are they only astronomical objects you can name matic increase in size and brightness of Comet Holmes. The after yourself if you discover one. Some famous comets hunt- previously obscure comet suddenly increased in magnitude by ers named include E. E. Barnard, Thomas Bopp, Alan Hale, a factor of a few hundred thousand in only a few days in late Yuji Hyakutake, Kaoru Ikeya, David Levy, Charles Messier, October 2008. Dr. Kundu showed many images of the comet Tsutomu Seki, and Gene & Carolyn Shoemaker. by a variety of amateur astronomers. At one point, the atmos- phere surrounding the tiny comet nucleus was larger in di- Dr. Kundu then dived into the main part of his talk: comet ameter than the Sun! tails. They form when radiation pressure and the solar wind push gas and ions away from the Sun. Thus, the tail of a Dr. Kundu explained that the term comet is derived from the comet always puts away from the Sun. In fact, the ion tail is Greek word “kometes;” meaning long haired. To the ancients, so light it always points directly opposite the Sun. The dust they appeared in the sky suddenly (at least in astronomical tail is heavier and less affected by the solar wind, so its shape terms) and sometimes covered a large part of the sky. This can be curved. The sodium tail is the third tail of a comet, had the effect of scaring the heck out of folks. first discovered coming from Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.

Sir Edmond Halley applied Newton’s theory of gravity to Dr. Kundu then showed many amazing images of the tail of comets observed between 1300 - 1700 and found one that Halley’s Comet as it appeared in 1910. Other incredible returns to the inner solar system every 76 years. This comet comet images shown and discussed include: Ikeya-Seki now bears his name; 1P/Halley or simply Halley’s Comet. (1966), West (1976), Hyakutake (1996), & Hale-Bopp (1997).

Comets are simply dirty snowballs; icy objects that have some Dr. Kundu then talked about NASA’s Deep Impact mission to dust, rock, and a variety of volatile compounds. This theory Comet Tempel and showed some of the videos of the probe was first proposed by Fred Whipple in the 1950’s. These striking the surface (which apparently nearly missed). He dirty snowballs are left over from the formation of the solar also mentioned the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 into system 4.5 billion years ago. Most comets are found in either Jupiter in 1994. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been the greatest discover of comets in history (the current count is over 1500). However, many of these comets are pulled in by the Sun’s gravity and destroyed. Many cool videos of this were shown.

Jack gave his president’s report after the snack break. He thanked Dick Gillespie for organizing the Kiwanis Star Party in August and for members setting up scopes at the annual Scout Camporee at the Air Zoo. A handful of members are thinking about attending the Great Lakes Star Gaze at the end of September. Several members reported a light showing of the Perseid Meteor Shower. There were also comments on the complete lack of sunspots in August. Mike Sinclair made it very clear that the new Large Hadron Collider WILL NOT create black holes and destroy the Earth. ‘Nuff said. Jack then had the pleasure of presenting an Honorary Award and KAS President Jack Price (right) presents the pin and pin to Don Stilwell for completing the Astronomical League’s certificate to Don Stilwell for successfully completing the Messier Club. Congratulations to Don and keep’em coming. Astronomical League’s Messier Club (award #2417). Who’s next? The meeting concluded at 9:35 pm.

Prime Focus Page 2 October 2008 BoardBoard MeetingMeeting MinutesMinutes

The KAS Board met on September 14th at the slightly-damp Jack suggested that we are handling 1 - 2 public education Sunnyside Church (thank you, Ike). President Jack Price events per year at present, and that more might leave us over- brought the meeting to order at 5:10 pm. Members present extended. were Richard Bell, Jean DeMott, Dick Gillespie, Rich Mather, Dan Morgan, and Roger Williams. On the topic of Astronomy Day 2009, Richard reported on his efforts so far to plan a very ambitious program, featuring Neil Rich presented a treasurer’s report showing a current balance deGrasse Tyson as a speaker and Michael Francis (an actor of $14,655.82. He noted that three CD’s are coming due in who does an impersonation of Galileo). Richard has lined up November and December, two of them holding Land Acquisi- potential grants of $10,000 - $15,000 from WMU Graduate tion Fund monies. The plan is to renew the latter two on the College and $1,000 from the Physics Department. The costs same date, to make the bookkeeping simpler. would be heavy ($25,000 for Tyson, $475/performance for Francis, and $5000 for Miller Auditorium rental. The first big Regarding September/October events, Jack reiterated that unanswered question is whether Tyson will be available at Alan Otterson had invited club members to a viewing session any mutually acceptable time (Update: Dr. Tyson is willing to at his observatory on September 19th at 8 pm. Three members speak, but a date has yet to be agreed upon). Other grants were planning to attend, and Jack had notified Alan. It was would also be required to swing the deal. For Astronomy also noted that this was the date of a lunar occultation of the Day activities, Richard mentioned that someone is working on Pleiades. Other events include a KAS observing session on development of a Galileo-modeled telescope kit that kids September 27th, the next general meeting October 3rd, and could assemble for a reasonable price ($3?). On the related another observing session October 4th. The general meeting is topic of the International Year of Astronomy, Richard re- again planned as Astrophotography Night, but Richard sug- ported on an international project to conduct 100 continuous gested that it be done only as a show and not a contest, since a hours of astronomical viewing around the world in early survey at the last meeting showed only the usual 3 - 4 entrants April. Eric Schreur is trying to set up a site for participation for a contest. It was agreed that a show would be fine. in the project. Other school events were also proposed, and Richard suggested calling KRESA and offering speakers or In the category of Old Business, Richard noted that no fall astronomy programs. field trip had been planned, and time was short to plan any- thing new. Jack requested that the Abrams Planetarium Richard reported on extensive work on the new web site. He schedule be checked, to see if there was a program the group asked for suggestions regarding questions for the Member might like to see. Profile page, and some were offered. A listing of the avail- able KAS Library is also planned, which it is hoped will in- New business included beginning planning for the 2009 pro- crease their use. Another idea was to allow the option of gram. Richard volunteered to do a program in January with online membership sign-up or renewal. This would require an already-developed presentation called The 99 Years That about $1 - $2 more in fees to account for our PayPal cost. Changed Astronomy. He planned to ask Mike Sinclair and After a motion by Richard and a second by Jack, the Board Kirk Korista also for the winter quarter, since travel for an voted to offer online renewal at a higher fee. Another sugges- outside speaker can be so problematical during these months. tion by Richard was to offer a small assortment of items Other suggestions were Fred Adams (University of Michigan) (books, red shaker flashlights, planispheres, KAS logo mer- and Robert Nemiroff, who handles the Astronomy Picture of chandise) in an online store. Sales would be expected to be the Day web site. (Late Breaking News: Dr. Nemiroff has small. After a motion by Dick and second by Jean, the Board agreed to speak at the June 5th meeting.) Jean DeMott sug- voted to authorize the store. gested finding whether the MSU graduate who created the Large Hadron Collider Rap on YouTube might be in the area In Other Business, Dick reported that Battle Creek Kiwanis during the year. She also suggested that former KAMSC stu- Club was enthusiastic about the recent star party, and that dent Sarah Hunyadi, who went on to Cal Tech and then to they would like to do more next year. The KAS would be graduate school at the University of Arizona, might be willing welcome to participate in these. Rich reported that all non- to do a talk. profits are now required to file annually with the IRS, which he has done. A Michigan form is also due for renewal. Fi- Several members reported planning to attend the Great Lakes nally, it was reported that Education Day at WMU was moved Star Gaze. Jack reported on a request from organizers who to later this year, November 1st, still at the Seelye Center. are trying to get NIAG Fest going again, and who were look- ing for sponsorship help, both money and labor. The Board The next board meeting was set for October 5th at Sunnyside agreed that we were not in a position to undertake such an Church. The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 pm. obligation at this time. Richard had also received a request from the Air Zoo for help in running a program on astronomy. Respectfully submitted by Roger Williams

Prime Focus Page 3 October 2008 IIntelligentntelligent IImagingmaging by Bill Prueter

LIVE DRAWING What paper should be used? Imaging delights some. Others are thrilled by catching live In the beginning - any paper. Take something along to support video moments. Both are legit, worthwhile and satisfying. the paper. After a while, get a notebook. I really like Imaging cameras have remarkable ability to record colors and Sketchbook by Fusion. The paper is very heavy (100 lbs. shading. What tool has sensitivity for millions of shades of weight). It easily resists dew and dampness. It also endures intensity, colors and can negate temporary fluctuations in numerous erasures. It also has a nice smooth surface which atmospheric disturbances? That tool is the human eye, an will allow for nice details. One side is lined, the facing page organ which produces proteins at light-speed to keep receiv- is blank. I put my information on the lined side. What I have ing photons of light in endless streams. The eye needs a part- observed, how long, filters used, magnification, date etc. ner. That is the brain. This awesome organ can manipulate Some papers are bumpy and do not allow accurate drawings. information, sift out nonsense and synthesize previous images with those which smack of accuracy. I make the case for live Begin to draw what you see. Take some time to look at the observations at the scope and putting those views on paper. object. Select some feature which attracts your attention. Let us say it is the crater Plato. What is the shape? Are there any How to get started. mountains near by? Is the floor of the crater smooth, rough? Sharpen a pencil, any pencil. Take a chair, place it in front of What do you notice about the rim which goes around the cra- the scope, any scope. Preferably point it at the Moon. You ter? Are there breaks in the walls? Continuous ridges? Can can start with any object. But the Moon has so many features you see any craters in the crater? Dark spots, light spots? to examine that any telescope will give interesting views and Pick out some features. Draw them. Use your pencil to show plenty to draw. If it is still daylight, makes no difference. In areas which are darker or lighter. fact drawing in the daylight eliminates the need to worry about lighting, flashlights etc. Sit down and get comfortable. You may want to make notes. Be sure to record the time and If the Moon is high in the sky, take out a stool, maybe your date. The notes may take on a simple description. Such as: child’s bathroom stool. Sitting is much more comfortable than darker here, lighter there, really dark, in between. Use this standing. Use a diagonal, it is much more comfortable. You drawing as a guide to make a final drawing of what you see, do not need an equatorial mount. Sit down, point the scope. once you go inside. Worry more about drawing size and pro- Make enough magnification to allow a prominent sea or crater portions accurately rather than making it look good. to display some features. Keep your expectations low. Your drawing may not look like If you are going out at night, kind of dark, isn’t it? Take a much. But cherish it, and make sure you keep it. flashlight with you. Get a flashlight with a clip on it. Clip it to the hood of your sweatshirt, on the side near your ear. I found Here are two of my earliest drawings: my flashlight at www.zengineering.cjb.net. They come with red or white bulbs. White light is great for the Moon. If it is warm, wear a thin hood. You can, if you wish, go to the web and read other methods for lighting, but they are going to add equipment and trips back to the house and more expense. Some seem to me very labor intensive. Check my photo, it may give you an idea, even a better one.

Prime Focus Page 4 October 2008 Note how simple it looks. In fact childlike. Some might be drawings.” Numbers are used on a scale of one to ten. One is tempted to bury such efforts. Big mistake. Keep drawing and complete darkness, ten is brightest. These are called intensity once and a while go back, look at the early stuff and then be- numbers. The others are shades in between. These numbers gin to realize the advances you have made. Can’t do that if are placed in those areas of your drawing which will indicate you chuck what does not measure up to your hopes. There are how dark that area will be drawn in your final drawing. To a number of reasons these drawings do not look like much: do this will be handy to buy drawing pencils which have dif- ferent hardness. Different shades are possible with different 1. I needed to develop my drawing skills. Practice number of pencil. I recommend buying at an art store 6B, H will take care of that. and 6H. You may also want an eraser. I suggest Papermate’s Tuff Stuff Eraser Stick. It works well and allows fine line 2. I needed to learn to look for details. This requires erasing. This book has some weaknesses which are partially training. That means looking frequently through mitigated by its briefness. the telescope. I have sometimes noticed that my

drawings rival in detail what telescopes reveal us- Look at an example of an intensity drawing I have made. The ing digital imaging. first is an early one; the second is more recent. 3. I also needed to learn to connect what my mind saw with care in drawing. 4. I also needed to learn to be more patient. That is one more reason to have a comfortable position to observe.

Books. I am not a big fan of astronomy books which discuss how to draw. I have purchased some. They may be what you need or want. Buy them. For me some have too much of an artsy ap- proach. Sure, it sounds good but when I am done with a sen- tence, I wonder just exactly what good lies therein and what it means. Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) highly recommends a book entitled: Introduction to Observ- ing and Photographing the Solar System by Dobbins, Parker, Capen. This book is out of print but used copies are available.

It tells you what to look for in Solar System objects (planets, Sun, Moon, comets, There are several factors involved in intensity drawings. I asteroids). It also explains think that the following two are the most important: learning how our atmosphere works. to gauge which area is the lightest, which the darkest and This has turned out to be a those shades in between the two. The best cure for poor very big plus. As a result I drawings is to practice. The other is looking with care for learned about weather. details. It is often the case for me that I notice something after Clouds are not necessarily I have already been looking at the object for 10, 15, 20 min- the enemy. There are even utes. I look around, then, the next view something seems to times where the leading edge pop out that simply eluded me before. It could be that the of a cloud brings great stabil- atmosphere cooperated and gave me great clarity for a mo- ity to quality view. I also ment or two or I simply missed the feature. learned that the Moon has great wonders to offer, mys- Part of the beauty, in my humble judgment, is that you do not teries and joy. If someone had said when I received the book need to be out there all night. There are those who do that, that this is the interpretation of the atmosphere and approach it fine. But for those who have trouble doing this, have jobs or would give to observing, I would have been incredulous. Just cannot fit such into their life, go out to make one drawing if another example in my life of the endless set of connections that is all of the time you have. You can make a nice rough between one so-called disparate subject and another. It also draft with intensity numbers and features you have noticed in discusses what to look for on Mars, Jupiter, Saturn etc. The an hour or hour and a half. You still have an evening and ac- chapters on photography are dated but that is not the reason I tually will be refreshed for the next day, since this activity purchased it. will sever those ties with what has been bugging you. It will, in the still of the night, energize and bring meaning to life. ALPO also provides a manual for learning to draw. Its in- structions show you how to make what they call “intensity If you need reasons to continue drawing, read Peltier’s Star-

Prime Focus Page 5 October 2008 light Nights. Follow that up with The Friendly Stars by Mar- Clothing. tha Evans Martin. These will not even mention drawing but There are some nice private websites which have wonderful they will place stars and the universe in context of life and information about how to dress for observing. Layered cloth- seasonal events. One of the many fascinating moments in ing is the best way to go. You will need to dress for temps Peltier’s book was when he mentioned how much he enjoyed about 20 degrees less than the actual ambient temp. So if the hearing owls, birds, rustling critters during an evenings obser- thermometer outside says 50 degrees, better dress as though it vation. There is more to this than just drawing, far more. The is 30 degrees. I have found that in the summer a light hooded Friendly Stars was the book Peltier read when he was a kid sweatshirt is nice to wear - I clip my flashlight to it and it which spurred him to study the sky in the first place. The keeps mosquitoes away. woman who wrote it looked upon the stars as companions for flowers and plants as the seasons turned. Too much of astron- Altazimuth Mount vs. Equatorial Mount. omy seems to smack of memorizing lists and treating celestial Altazimuth mount is lighter, therefore it is easier to carry, for objects as bugs under glass. Observing puts you with the bug. those of us who lug our scopes outside. It, of course, must be Read these books, if you wish, and maybe what you see will adjusted frequently in order to keep the object in view. I do reflect worlds which bear a connection to life here on earth. not find this a bother. In fact I enjoy directly perceiving how This book is also out of print but used copies are available. quickly the world turns. Keeps one humble and fully aware Your local library, if you live in a state with a quality library that life should not be wasted. Equatorial mounts will track system, will be able to fetch a copy for free. Of course, you an object, once it is aligned. If you have a permanent place will need to return it when done. for your scope and you simply go out, roll off a roof and you

are ready to go, then set up time is not a concern. But if you Here are some later drawings: haul out the equatorial mount (probably will not be able to carry it with scope mounted on it - too heavy), attach scope, then it has to be aligned at least well enough to allow tracking ability to be useful. Be careful with adding on too much equipment. Studies show that scopes which are too much of a bother do not get used very often, in fact less and less until not at all. Keep it simple. At least as simple as you can.

What type of scope? Whatever you have will do just great. If you are going to purchase one, then I would consider a refractor. These are much easier to sight. Lighter and yes more expensive per inch of aperture. However, more frequent use will be made of a scope easy to carry and set up. There are 76 mm and 85 mm used scopes which are available for very good prices. The most important consideration: which scope is the most likely to be used most often? Refractors do not need alignment. They are good to go as is. Used ones are available.

This leads to eyepieces. Select eyepieces with wide field of view. These are more These drawings show more detail. Far more than the first expensive but will allow a larger area of view, even under ones. As you become more adept at drawing, you will want to include more information. How long did you observe while drawing? What was the temperature that night? This may help in planning proper clothing.

Averted vision. What is this? The human eye and brain together are an awe- some pair. The eye has a spot in the middle of our sight which is called the blind spot. In some ways our peripheral vision is stronger. Let us say that you are looking at Jupiter. Near by there are always three or four Galilean moons. Bend your eye to one of the moons, pick one furthest away. You will after time, notice features on the planet’s surface which you did not notice when looking directly at the planet. This takes practice. It takes time.

Prime Focus Page 6 October 2008 higher magnification. Better to have very few good eyepieces to make features more clear. The brain will also help to rather than a sack full of poor ones. Wide angle is a nice fea- eliminate floaters, as one eye helps to compensate for another. ture for finding objects and keeping track of objects even with an altazimuth mount. By the way stick with a wooden mount if you can, these do a much better job of damping vibrations. Main rule with eyepieces: select one or those which offer ease of use. The idea is not to collect a raft of eyepieces. Astromart has a nice offering, frequently for quality eyepieces.

Filters. Filters are presented as necessities for observing. This is somewhat deceptive. Much, much, much can be seen with just you, the eyepiece and your telescope. For me filters have been a tricky item to grip. I feel at the moment that it is best to become as proficient as you can drawing with what you have and then when plateau has been reached, start with a filter. Best start for me was polarizer. Non variable type. I Binoviewers are expensive but combined with comfy chair, a have used it with success on Jupiter, Mars, Venus and the position which makes it easy to look through the scope and Moon. I did not find it as much of a benefit on Saturn. Too wide angle eyepieces, the experience can only be enhanced. little light, at least at high magnification. I have a five inch If the money scares, then look for used ones. That is what I refractor. Thus I do not have a tremendous amount of light have. Also better to use it with very few high quality eye- gathering ability. pieces, rather than several which are to be honest not worth the money. As long as you have about 100×, it is impressive Also be careful reading suggested filters for particular objects what can be seen. Wide angle eyepieces also mean that you put out by manufacturers. The reason for this is that a darker can use higher power, still find an object and keep it in view filter on my scope will not allow enough light to reach my even with altazimuth mount. Check reviews for binoviewers. eyes. This same darker filter may be perfect in a larger scope. Some do not seem to be very good. Some are very heavy. I have for example a #8 yellow filter (very light yellow) This may be a consideration based on the kind and quality of which works very well with my scope on Saturn, Moon, Mars scope you have. Astromart has binoviewers for sale. These and Jupiter. My blue filter is also very light (#82a). I suggest are used, so be wary. Astromart does have a nice evaluation approaching filters with caution. No need to hurry into some- system. thing. You can see a whole bunch with just the telescope, eyepiece and the mind’s eye. Drawing on the spot is so very pleasant. I have heard coyotes, tree frogs, critters amongst the leaves. I have been suspended in the heavens, watched shadows grow on the Moon in a sin- gle evening and I have seen Jupiter’s moon clear his shadow and pop into view, in a matter of minutes. The silent hum of night, the pleasant rustle of leaves, the beauty above breaks the distance and brings the heavens to walk with me. Grasp- ing great distances is fruitless and oppressive. The key to grasping the universe lies in making a connection between the beauty of daylight, the passing of daytime color as night em- braces and the ever increasing intensity of color in night time sky. The beauty of day fades into the glory of nocturnal color.

"A feeling of awe for the stars is not induced by excit- ing wonder at the expanse and mystery of the heavens, nor by burdening and oppressing the mind with the vastness that seems beyond all compassing thought, but by showing how the stars like flowers and trees are but parts of the visible beauty of nature which have their share in making "the perfect whole.”

Binoviewing - Martin, The Friendly Stars A binoviewer uses two eyepieces of the same focal length. This allows both eyes to be used. It reduces eye strain. It also This and a whole lot more beckons. eliminates the need to squeeze one eye shut which becomes very annoying after a while. Because you are using both eyes Bill Prueter enjoys sketching at the eyepiece from his home in the brain helps to use the information which your eyes gather Chesterland, Ohio.

Prime Focus Page 7 October 2008 AstronomyAstronomy SoftwareSoftware

by Sean Welton

Sometimes in amateur astron- zoom in on planets, stars, nebulae, and other objects. It even omy, a computer and appropriate allows you to track space probes as they roam through space. software can be a very helpful Starry Night Pro adds the ability to plan viewing sessions. It thing. Take for example the also will allow tracking following case, which is very of artificial satellites similar to my own situation right (such as the space sta- now. You haven't observed in tion) using any comput- weeks, due to being busy at erized telescope mount work (and having no vacation days left), and you finally get a and an adapter. Now chance to go out to the telescope. Once you've got your fancy that is cool. For those of 'scope all set up, you realize the sky has changed drastically you into astrophotogra- since last time you observed. A session planning software phy, they also offer an would make a great addition to your gear at this point. Maybe AstroPhoto Suite that can you're new to the hobby, or just fooling around in some spare organize and improve time. Astronomy software can also help teach new observers your imaging sessions. about the most interesting night sky objects and how to find them. In the following article, we'll take a look at some com- Also worth mentioning is mercial and shareware programs that can help you out when a list of open source and you're at the 'scope. free programs at Midnight Kite. On this page, there are many, many programs, each of which is specialized in doing one The software I personally use the most is called Stellarium. calculation or another. This page is definitely worth checking Stellarium is an open-source, cross-platform software. This out. If you need a program or script for your observatory, it’s means it is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux probably there. Sky & Telescope also offer some free pro- computers. This is also grams, such as Mars Previewer II, Binoplan, Cool, Flex, and the reason I use Stel- Sec. All of these programs perform specific tasks and are larium quite a bit. I run available here. I have personally found the Mars Previewer II Linux on all of my own to be very useful in determining if you really did see that fea- computers, so it is a ma- ture on the red planet's surface. jor plus for me. Stel- larium is good at project- I hope this article ing a lifelike sky on your has been of some computer screen. The help to you in constellations and ob- organizing and jects are labeled, and improving your there are many display sessions with the options. It will also simu- help of computer late eclipses, and there is software. Of a meteors option. Some planetariums even use Stellarium to course, this is render their shows. Displaying the sky is one of the few fea- only the tip of tures of Stellarium, however. There are some scripts available the iceberg, so to for it that provides new features, but some of the features of speak. Therefore, expect more software articles as I discover commercial software are missing. new pieces of software that can help you get more out of your observing time. If you want some of the nicer features, however, you're going to want to invest in some commercial astronomy software. Sean Welton is a senior at Youngstown State University in Such software is a great investment in your hobby, as it will Ohio majoring in Electrical Engineering. He is the author of make your observing sessions more organized. You may even the blog Visual Astronomy. Aside from learn some new stuff! Starry Night is a program that works astronomy, he also enjoys photography somewhat like Stellarium, but includes many more useful fea- and racing classic and modern cars. tures. Starry Night is available in several different versions, ranging from beginner to expert. Starry Night Enthusiast al- This content is distributed by the AAVSO lows users to explore a 3-D model of the entire universe, and Writer's Bureau.

Prime Focus Page 8 October 2008 Extreme Starburst by Dr. Tony Phillips

A star is born. A star is born. A star is born.

Repeat that phrase 4000 times and you start to get an idea what life is like in distant galaxy J100054+023436.

Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and ground-based observatories have found that the galaxy gives birth to as many as 4000 stars a year. For comparison, in the same period of time the Milky Way produces only about 10. This makes J100054+023436 an extreme starburst galaxy.

“We call it the ‘Baby Boom galaxy,” says Peter Capak of NASA’s Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. "It is undergoing a major baby boom, producing most of its stars all at once. If our hu- man population was produced in a similar boom, then almost Spitzer Space Telescope all people alive today would be the same age." producing so many stars. “There are some other extreme star- Capak is lead author of a paper entitled "Spectroscopic Confir- burst galaxies in the local universe,” says Capek. But the Baby mation of an Extreme Starburst at Redshift 4.547" detailing Boom galaxy is special because it is not local. It lies about the discovery in the July 10th issue of Astrophysical Journal 12.3 billion light years from Earth, which means we are seeing Letters. it as it was 12.3 billion years ago. The universe itself is no older than 14 billion years, so this galaxy is just a youngster The galaxy appears to be a merger, a “train wreck” of two or (Capak likens it to a 6-year-old human) previously thought to more galaxies crashing together. The crash is what produces be incapable of such rapid-fire star production. the baby boom. Clouds of interstellar gas within the two gal- axies press against one another and collapse to form stars, The Baby Boom galaxy poses a challenge to the Hierarchical dozens to hundreds at a time. Model of galaxy evolution favored by many astronomers. Ac- cording to the Hierarchical Model, galaxies grow by merging; This isn’t the first time astronomers have witnessed a galaxy Add two small galaxies together, and you get a bigger galaxy. In the early years of the universe, all galaxies were small, and they produced correspondingly small bursts of star formation when they merged. “Yet in J100054+023436, we see an ex- treme starburst. The merging galaxies must be pretty large.”

Capak and colleagues are busy looking for more Baby Boom- ers “to see if this is a one-off case or a common occurrence.” The theory of evolution of galaxies hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile… A star is born. A star is born. A star is born.

See more breathtaking Spitzer images at:

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages

Kids can play the new Spitzer “Sign Here!” game at:

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/spitzer/signs The “Baby Boom” galaxy loosely resembles the galaxy shown here, called Zw II 96, in this Hubble Space Tele- This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scope image. This galaxy is only 500 million light-years California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the away, while the Baby Boom galaxy is 12.3 billion light- National Aeronautics and Space Administration. years away.

Prime Focus Page 9 October 2008 OctoberOctober NightNight Sky...... Sky......

This star map is property of the This map represents the sky at the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. NORTH following local standard times: However you may make as many y Early September 11 pm copies as you wish free-of-charge, so long as it is for non-profit y Late September 10 pm educational purposes and full y Early October 9 pm credit is given to the KAS. y Late October Dusk www.kasonline.org EAST WEST

SOUTH

ook low in the west-southwest for a Venus passes about 3½º north of opposition on October 29th. It’ll appear LL very thin (6% illuminated) Waxing Antares low in the southwest during as a magnitude 6½ “star” above the tail Crescent Moon on October 1st. Center evening twilight on October 25th and of the constellation Cetus. Venus with 7×50 binoculars and then 26th. Antares will be tough, so again try move down about one field-of-view binoculars or a rich-field telescope. On Halloween, the Waxing Crescent (about 5º or 6º). The Moon moves near Moon returns to the southwest. It’ll Jupiter on October 6th & 7th. The brightest asteroid, Vesta, will reach again be about 5º below Venus. KAS OFFICERS October 2008 Page 11 PRESIDENT Jack Price 343-3193 [email protected] OrderOrder YourYour CopyCopy Today!Today!

VICE PRESIDENT he 2009 Observer’s Handbook from the Mike Sinclair T Royal Astronomical Society of Canada 373-7003 (RASC) will be available from Bill Nigg at a [email protected] significant discount. This year’s price is $21.00 – a difference refund will be given if the TREASURER quantity goes into the next bracket. Please Rich Mather give cash or a check (to "Bill Nigg") before or th 629-5312 at the November 7 KAS meeting for delivery [email protected] at or after the December KAS meeting. This famous 320+ page astronomical data book is a SECRETARY/ALCOR prime and up-to-date resource that successfully Roger Williams performs at the telescope and at the computer. 375-4867 See www.rasc.ca/handbook or contact Bill at [email protected] 665-7545 or [email protected]

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Richard S. Bell 373-8942 [email protected]

Jean DeMott 381-1406 Sky Legends of the Three Fires [email protected] Saturdays, 11:00 am; Sundays, 1:30 pm

Dick Gillespie Constellations Tonight Live! 966-9653 Wednesdays 3:00 pm; Saturdays, 2:00 pm [email protected] Galaxies Dan Morgan Saturdays & Sundays, 3:00 pm 964-3156 [email protected] Planetarium admission is $3.00 per person. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is located at 230 North Rose Street in downtown Kalamazoo. For more information please call (269) 373-7990 or visit us on the web at www.kalamazoomuseum.org

GETGET OUTOUT & OBSERVE!OBSERVE! OCTOBER STARGAZING DATES

Kalamazoo Nature Center ● 7000 N. Westnedge Ave.

Saturday, October 4 @ 7:00 pm Overwhelming Open Clusters

Saturday, October 25 @ 7:00 pm The Great Square

with the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting Preview

NGC 7000 -- North American Nebula

The tradition continues! Every October the general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society is devoted to astrophotography, the art of photographing the night sky. For the past year, 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 and answer your questions. As an added bonus we’ll have a brief presentation on how you can start taking your own celestial portraits. So come on out for what always proves to be one of our best meetings of the year!

Friday, October 3 @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center by Richard Bell 600 West Vine, Suite 400 • Use Dutton St. Entrance

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC STAMP 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008

© October 2008, Stargazer Productions