The Messier Marathon at Henry Coe State Park Vivek Mohan

It began, like almost all activities, and no amount of tweaking, prodding, However, locating objects without with a groan. “Come on, it’s a Saturday or adjusting it could fix the problem. a viewfinder was proving to be a difficult night, do we have to go to the Messier Using the other scope, we quickly exercise. M81 was the next object on Marathon?” “Let’s watch a movie located the easiest of the Messier the list, and it was more difficult to instead.” It ended, also, with a groan, objects — M42 and M43, otherwise locate than it should have been. We but on a different note — “Are we known as Orion’s and de decided to take a walk around and look leaving already?” “Can’t we stay a little Mairan’s Nebula (located slightly below at the other telescopes there. Some of longer?” All in all, the Messier Marathon Orion’s belt.) Another easy-to-locate the very large scopes, a 20” scope and at Henry Coe State Park was a fun object, M36, in Auriga, was next. The 18” scope, were next to us. We kept experience. other two Messier objects in Auriga, admiring the scopes themselves, which We loaded our 6” dob (on loan M37 and M38, were easy to find from from SJAA) and drove over to our there. Continued on next page friend’s house. Mr. Kumar brought his 6” equatorial and his 10 old son, SJAA activities calendar Jim Van Nuland “When it was time to leave, my younger brother and I May June asked for the traditional 3 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:59 6 Houge Park party, 9:30 p.m. p.m., 7% Moon sets 10:23 p.m. to midnight. Sunset 8:25 p.m., ‘five more minutes’ ...” 9 Houge Park star party, 9:00 p.m. 43% Moon sets 1:39 a.m to midnight. Sunset 8:04 p.m., 7 ATM class. Houge Park, 7:30 p.m. 57% Moon sets 3:06 a.m. 14 General meeting, Houge Park. and we were set to go. We ascended 10 ATM class. Houge Park, 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Scott Sandford, the mountain on a long and winding Astronomy Day observed May 9 Stardust mission (to be confirmed) road. Twelve miles of twisting mountain 15 Lunar Eclipse. Sunset 8:09 p.m. 19 ATM class. Houge Park, 7:30 p.m. road without guardrails was enough to Moon rises in eclipse 8:03 p.m. 20 Astronomy class. Houge Park, make anyone wonder if this was going 17 General meeting, Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. subject TBA to be worth the while. When we 8:00 p.m. Norm Sperling on his 20 Houge Park star party. Sunset reached the small parking lot at the new book What Your Astronomy 8:31 p.m., 552% Moon rises 1:24 peak in fading daylight, we drove past Textbook Won’t Tell You a.m. Star party hours 9:30 p.m. to all kinds of amazing scopes ranging 22 ATM class. Houge Park, 7:30 p.m. midnight from 4” to 20” behemoths. Pulling into 23 Astronomy class. Houge Park, 21 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:31 one of the few empty parking spots, we 7:30 p.m., subject TBA p.m., 43% Moon rises 1:47 a.m. quickly unpacked our two small 23 Houge Park star party, 9:30 p.m. 28 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:32 scopes. However, we soon realized that to midnight. Sunset 8:16 p.m., p.m., 0% Moon rises 5:31 a.m. the viewfinder on our dob was broken, 39% Moon rises 2:56 a.m. 25-30 Wednesday - Monday 24 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:17 Shingletown Star party p.m., 27% Moon rises 3:21 a.m. 31 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:22 The Board of Directors meet at 6:30 p.m., 1% Moon rises 9:15 p.m. p.m. preceding each general meeting. All are welcome.

Observers getting ready for the Messier 24 Hour News and Information Hotline: (408) 559-1221 Marathon at Henry Coe State Park. Photo by Paul Kohlmiller. http://www.sjaa.net

Copyright © 2003 San Jose Astronomical Association, Inc. Volume 14 Number 4 Official Publication of the San Jose Astronomical Association, April 2003 Messier Marthon Messier Marathon 2003 — March 29/30, 2003 Continued from previous page Bob Brauer involved precision work by their owners A big “thank you” should go out to back to pickup the 4 objects in Cyg- who built them. The gentlemen who had Bob Havner for organizing the 2003 nus, Vulpecula, and Sagitta which have built these incredible scopes were very SJAA Messier Marathon. His email risen higher in the sky. (Search order: friendly and patient with us as they notices got me eager to get out under 71, 72, 77 to 87, then go back for 73 to showed us several Messier objects. the for a full night of observing. 76, forward to 88, 89, and so forth.) Using the 18” which was partially The week leading up to our official This year added three nice computer controlled, we focused on marathon night featured some of the planetary appearances to the Mara- M81 and 82, Bode’s and the best clear skies I had seen in months, thon: Saturn was still quite close to Cigar Galaxy. We took a look and were but it was not destined to last. Increas- M1; M44 & Jupiter practically merged amazed. We saw M81 as a huge ing haze and high thin clouds filled the into one cluster with all 4 Galilean spiral, with a small elongated shape to sky by Saturday afternoon. Fortunately moons stretched out between the the left — M82. Looking through that a strong north to south airflow kept dry planet and the cluster; and small but telescope was amazing — almost as if air over our observing site all night long. growing Mars in the morning sky. Vesta one was in an observatory. Dew was not a problem. reached opposition the day before our One of the gentlemen with the I chose to use two refractors for marathon and delighted us with observ- large scopes prompted us to bring the my Messier observations. I bolted a able motion as it passed background defective dob over and volunteered to 4.8-inch f/5 (Orion ST120) onto a 4-inch stars in near 12:38 R.A. and +09 locate M81 for us without the viewfinder. f/10 (Celestron C102), giving me a deg 38 min dec. from 12:30 a.m. to I brought the scope to him and he short, fast, widefield view side-by-side 3:30 a.m. easily pointed it towards M81. Sure with a sharp, higher magnification view. So how did I do? Well, when I enough, it was just as amazing through lived back east, my Messier our humble six-inch dob. Then we used “This year added three nice marathoning usually found 40 or 50 the 18” scope to see an amazing objects between and through the combination -– Saturn and M1, the planetary appearances to the clouds. Out here in the west, my Crab Nebula, in a single field of view in Marthon ...” previous best total was 87. This year I the 18” scope, as they happened to be found 103, missing M77, M74, M33, very close together in the sky. What a M32, M110, M79, and M30. Perhaps contrast! The ST120 combined with a 40mm more impressive is that 4 observers We moved to another telescope, eyepiece and a Skyview filter gave stuck with the marathon through the this one a smaller ten-inch, and helped around 3 degrees of field-of-view, which entire night. It was fun. look for clusters. In Leo, we found the is well matched to the finder charts in — Bob Brauer, elusive (at least for us) of M95 the Messier Marathon Observer’s Guide [email protected] and M96. Back at our base camp, we by Don Machholz. learned to use our other telescope, one As the evening darkened into Directions to Houge Park on an equatorial mount with tracking. night, haze on the western horizon With a fair dose of luck and help, we blocked five of the first six search Houge (rhymes with “Yogi”) located M45 in Taurus. By the time we objects. Not the best way to start Park is in San Jose, near Campbell had done all this, it was getting quite perhaps, but that’s part of the chal- and Los Gatos. From Hwy. 17, take late and we were feeling somewhat lenge. By 9:30 p.m., I was well into the the Camden Avenue exit. Go east cold. hunt. 0.4 miles, and turn right at the light, When it was time to leave, my The last time I tried the Messier onto Bascom Avenue. At the next younger brother Vijay and I asked for Marathon, I got caught in a trap at light, turn left onto Woodard Road. the traditional “five more minutes,” Cygnus. When I finished M57 and M56 At the first stop sign, turn right onto hoping to get my parents hooked for in Lyra, Don’s search order indicates a Twilight Drive. Go three blocks, another half hour or so. However, we move east to find M29 in Cygnus. At 2 cross Sunrise Drive, then turn left had to leave, as both of our families had a.m., Cygnus is low in the east and I into the park. commitments the next morning. made the mistake of taking a break and From Hwy. 85, take the — Vivek Mohan, waiting for it to rise. This is a time trap Bascom Avenue exit. Go north, and [email protected] (I am 15 since I could run out of time in the turn right at the first traffic light, onto old, my brother Vijay is 10). morning. This year I tried a slightly White Oaks Road. At the first stop [Editors note: Vivek’s first article, different search order which moves from sign, turn left onto Twilight Drive. The 6" dob, was published in the March M56 to M107 in Ophiuchus. After You will now be passing the park. 2001 Ephemeris http:// searching through Ophiuchus and Turn right at the first driveway, into ephemeris.sjaa.net/0103/b.html] Scorpius for 11 M-objects, I can go the parking lot.

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 2 April 2003 The shallow sky respect to the sun. But it does net out to a leading Good news and bad news edge, and whether that has any effect Akkana Peck on larger cratering numbers is a mystery to me. I’ve got some good news and More good news: there’s still time We don’t have such an “edge” of some bad news for the May shallow to catch Jupiter in its current pass! It’s course because of spinning on our sky. still observable in the western sky axis. But we sure do know the leading The good news: Mercury will during early evening. Try setting up edge counts with meteor showers! transit the sun on May 7. right around sunset: sometimes the “Why not?” is practically an The bad news: we won’t see it sky is extremely steady for an hour or impossible question to answer with any from here. so after sunset, and Jupiter is plenty meaning, of course. It’s rhetorical, but if This transit is visible at sunrise bright enough to show detail even in a somebody higher up the research food from the east coast of North America, twilight sky. chain decides this is a good idea, at sunset from Alaska, but to see it Bad news: Saturn is going ... remember where you heard it first (and high in the sky you have to go to going ... not quite gone; you can still that it wasn’t my idea). Eurasia or Africa. catch it low in the sunset twilight for If they’re already doing it and we I know I shouldn’t complain, after part of the month. Never fear; the rings don’t know about it, you can remember we got such a good view of the transit will still be fairly wide open when it who doesn’t know jack... in 1999, but that was so much fun that returns this fall. The other “why not” question is, I’m tempted to schedule a trip to see Mars rises around 1:00 a.m., and why isn’t Rukl’s Atlas Of The Moon this one. We found out that a small is gradually drawing closer to us, but back in print yet? travel scope worked fine. Or wait ‘til it’s still too far away to show much Now there’s a question I really November 2006, when another Mercury detail yet. But just wait a few months! don’t know the answer to. It certainly transit will be visible from here. The Meanwhile, it’s hanging out with has been popular, and there’s definitely transit of Venus next year (June 2004) Neptune in Capricornus, while Uranus demand. has almost exactly the same visibility tags a bit behind them in Aquarius. But it’s missing in action. as this month’s Mercury transit (that Venus rises in the morning about Various rumors abound, and certainly sounds worth a trip!) but for an hour before the sun, and will be surface from time to time. The best I the June 2012 Venus transit, San Jose difficult to catch. know is Kalmbach sold the rights to gets a sunset view (sounds like a — Akkana Peck, Sky Publications, who planned to issue spectacular photo opportunity!) [email protected] a new edition (which I’m told Antonin Rukl was working on). This seemed to be taking way too Mooning long years ago when I first started We may not know getting bugged by the missing book. I Dave North do recall being chastised by some SkyPub apologists who said matters were well in hand and a magnificent Came down near the wire, but I Bill speculated “There must be new atlas would soon be issued. finally got a couple of interesting lots of them every year a few 10s of That was at least a year ago, questions for this month. Both share a meters in diameter.” May be right, probably more like two. characteristic in that they really ask, maybe not, but in any event we just SkyPub has since published why not? And both share the same don’t know! several inferior atlases, and when I say answer: It would be great to be able to inferior I mean way inferior. It would I don’t know. cover the prime zones of the visible seem simply reprinting the existing Which doesn’t make them any side, but even if just some smaller edition might have been a worthwhile less interesting. sample areas were covered, we could effort, considering how long the market The first comes from Bill Arnett, get a count of some sort. has been dead dry. who wondered why there isn’t anyone One thing I don’t know is whether But no. running a periodic survey of the Moon it makes any significant difference if Then again, maybe they don’t to see what new craters have appeared. one is counting on the “leading” edge or watch eBay or amazon where they are This is a darn good question. the “trailing” edge. Since the Moon is in hot demand, and often sell for Of course, even with adaptive tidally locked, it has a leading edge in somewhat more than the old list price. optics, we wouldn’t be able to see all its orbit around us ... but of course it Maybe they don’t know it used to the microcraters that appear, but we follows our orbit too, which means be the amateur Moon Bible. should be able to see some fairly small some fraction of the month it has a net ones. velocity along its trailing edge with Continued on next page

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 3 April 2003 We may not know watch an eclipsed Moon rise some- Continued from previous page where above the east hills (depends on where you are, of course). But of course the various Big Best to make sure you have a Decision Makers at SkyPub all read clear horizon. Should be fun to watch, this column every month, and when you since it will remain eclipsed as twilight see Rukl’s great book back in print, sets in, plus there will be the unnatural you’ll know which agitator finally got coloration of both the eclipse and the them to wake up. horizon. Sure. There’s also an annular solar I guess this is just kind of an “I eclipse on May 31, but as best I can don’t know” month. bone out from the numbers, we won’t Oh, by the way: there will be a see it at all. “moonrise” lunar eclipse May 15; be set Oh well! up around 8:30 and you’ll be able to — Dave North, [email protected]

Out there Between the serpents Edge on galaxy in Virgo, NGC 5746 by Andreas Domenico Mark Wagner 7° to the west is NGC 5273 (13 42.0 +35 39) a 2.8’x2.5’ eliptical galaxy Last month’s “Out there” centered circle. A pair of mid-mag 5 stars will be in Canes Venatici. There are three stars on April 26. New moon has gradually near the center, and NGC 5676 (14 under mag 5 in the area, two close shifted to the beginning/end of the 32.0 +49 27) should be between them. together. The outer circle on a Telrad month, so let’s “re-time” things to This mag 11.2 type C spiral is 4.0’x1.9’ will just touch the two outer stars, and coincide with the arrival of your newslet- was easily visible from my Los Gatos put the galaxy nearby. From my ter. backyard in mag 4.2 skies with a 14.5” backyard with a 14.5” dob I wrote “The This article is for May 3rd new dob. galaxy is between the mag 4.8 and moon weekend. I’ve selected a two- Just under 1° SSE you will find mag 6 star, just to the east. Its dim hour observing window between R.A. NGC 5689 (14 35.0 +48 44). In a good glow is round and featureless, but it is 13:38 and 15:38, rising in the east at dark sky this area is rich in galaxies. there, and fun to find.” astronomical dark. We’ll travel from the On the same night from my backyard it Jump south over 23° into Virgo. serpent of the north — — to the too was fairly obvious, which it should From 5273, find mag 2.7 star Murphid, southern serpent — Hydra. the bright one just west of . Begin with NGC 5907 (15 15.0 “The effort to get to darker Continue toward mag 4.2 . +56 19) in Draco. Locate skies is small and the Located between two mag 6 stars north between Alcor in the Big Dipper and the of Tau is NGC 5363 (13 56.0 +05 15) a end bowl stars in the Little Dipper. rewarding views so many.” mag 10.1 irregular galaxy measuring Follow Draco toward the Keystone in 4.1’x2.6’ and NGC 5364 (13 56.0 +05 Hercules to mag 3.3 star Edasich then 00) a mag 10.5 6.8’x4.4’ . hop just under 3° WSW. This mag 10.3 be since at mag 11.9 it is nearly as edge on galaxy (12.6’x1.4') is sharp bright as 5676. My notes say it is Continued on next page and shows a great dust lane. smaller (3.5’x1.0’) than 5676, and NGC 5473 (14 04.7 +54 54) — elongated E/W with a bright core. find Alcor and Alkaid, the two end stars Next is NGC 5557 (14 18.0 +36 of the Big Dipper’s handle. Imagine a 29), a nice mag 11 eliptical galaxy. right angle east of these stars, placing Easy to locate using in northern Bootes you close to M101. If you land on M101 with mag 3.9 Nekkar (the top of the move about 1/2° north. At mag 11.4 this kite) imagine a line to mag 3 Seginus 2.3’x1.7' eliptical galaxy should be (the western star in the kite) and easy to see. From the Shingletown Star continue 6° further. From Lake Party last year, observers were picking Sonoma’s dark skies with her 17.5” off a number of fainter galaxies in this dob, Jane Houston Jones writes “NGC area. 5544, 5545 and 5557… a nice trio… all Continue about 6-1/2° southeast, three fit in the field of view at 125x with in Bootes. If you use a Telrad, get mag a 16 Nagler. They barely squeeze into NGC 5846 and one of three 4.4 Theta Bootis on the northwest outer the 9 Nagler view.” others nearby by Andreas Domenico

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 4 April 2003 Between the serpents cluster. Only 4.9’ in size, this mag 9.4 following the chain of stars north. Continued from previous page object should be easy. From Henry Placing the chain of stars inside the Coe, Jamie Dillon writes “Off in SE western edge of your Telrad should put There are five galaxies here under mag Virgo is an interesting globular, NGC the globular in view. Bob Jardine 13.5 that will fit into one eyepiece field. 5634. At 210x it showed a ragged edge, observed it from Montebello OSP, in the Matthew Marcus with a C8 writes from bright core, didn’t resolve, so it really hills above Palo Alto, and writes “a very Lake Sonoma “A nice trio. 63 is the did look like a galaxy. Looked distant, distant globular in Hydra; according to brightest. 64 is fainter but larger, round and sure enough it’s marked as 70 kly one book I have, it is fully 110,000 LY and with no obvious core. 60 is much away.” away! No surprise, it was smaller and smaller and fainter. I couldn’t find 5373 Jump almost 19° southeast into dimmer than your average GCs.” which should be there.” the center of Libra. We’re after globular If you are interested in experienc- 13° east is the mag 3.7 star 109 cluster NGC 5897 (15 17.0 -21 00), ing the magic of real dark skies this Virginis and NGC 5746 (14 44.0 +01 three times the size as the previous summer, two upcoming star parties fit 57). At 7.4’x1.3’ this pretty edge on globular at 12.6’, but not much brighter the bill, with lots of fun with plenty of mag 10.3 spiral is described by William at mag 8.6. Schultz from Henry Coe State Park Look for mag “This edge-on galaxy is superb! The 3.9 Gamma Web site addresses: dust lane was quite evident and the Librae and to overall texture of the object appeared its south, mag Shingletown Star Party: http://www.shingletownstarparty.org granular through the C-11.” 3.2 Sigma CalStar: http://www.sjaa.net/calstar2003.html Move 4-1/2° east of , Librae. The TAC: http://www.observers.org just past mag 4.4 110 Virginis to find globular is the mag 10 4.1’x3.8’ eliptical galaxy slightly toward Sigma between the two NGC 5846 (15 06.0 +01 36). Randy stars. It is interesting comparing it to friendly observers. The Shingletown Muller, observing under Mt. Lassen’s globulars of similar size. Look at Star Party near Mount Lassen in late mag 7 skies writes about “a small nearby M5, then at 5897. Others you June and CalStar at Lake San Antonio group of 4 galaxies in a row: NGC may want to view are NGC 5053 (next in late September. You need not be an 5850, 5846, 5845, and 5839. These are to M53) in Coma Berenices and NGC experienced deep sky observer to enjoy each about 10 arcminutes apart and 5466 (compare it to nearby M3) near these events ... they are geared for are regularly spaced almost on a line. where our tour began, up in Bootes. ages 8 to 80. Remember too, there Two of them are very bright, and two are Our last object this month is are many good observing sites within fairly dim, though still easy to see.” another which makes an hour drive of the bay area. Look at From 109 Virginis drop due south sense. As we approach summer skies TAC’s website to see where observers to mag 3.9 107 Virginis, and then and the plane of our galaxy, we are you read about in these articles are imagine a line west to mag 4.1 99 bound to see more of this class of going. Virginis. Halfway between is a mag 6 object. NGC 5694 (14 39.36 -26.32) is The effort to get to darker skies is star, just to its east is NGC 5634 (29 a mottled globular at 4.2’, its mag 10 small and the rewarding views so many. should give a reasonable surface So, get up, and get “Out there.” brightness. Easy to locate in eastern- — Mark Wagner, mgw@resource- most Hydra, start at Sigma Librae, intl.com moving 4° SSW to 58 Hydrae and

May program: Norm Sperling

What your astronomy textbook root of this problem. won’t tell you Norm aims wit and wisdom at Looking at the night sky often popular textbook oxymorons such as inspires us to learn more about the “frozen gases.” He points out that spiral universe in general, and astronomy in galaxies are not typical, but “With particular. Unfortunately, an Astronomy galaxies, as with people, pictures show textbook can sometimes be more of a the most attractive, not the most hindrance to learning than a useful typical.” He also points out several resource. Norm Sperling has been areas of research in Astronomy that are NGC 5907 — the classic edge-on galaxy in teaching Astronomy for a long time, mostly overlooked. Draco by Andreas Domenico and he believes he has gotten to the

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 5 April 2003

00.0 -05 58), a nice unresolved globular CAM and KAO Celestial calendar Hsin I Huang May 2003 Richard Stanton “Speed Limit 17,500 MPH,” a sign the students saw the tiny back-up is posted on the inside wall of the space capsule Alan Shepard was Lunar Phases: Date Rise Trans Set Centrifuge Accommodation Module supposed to use in his Freedom flight. NM 05:14 PDT 01 05:51 13:09 20:45 FQ 04:52 PDT 09 11:30 19:47 03:22 (CAM), a mock-up for the International I keep hoping that this trip will FM 20:35 PDT 15 20:25 00:02 04:58 Space Station. I wonder if you get a entice some of the students to become LQ 17:30 PDT 22 02:45 11:51 19:01 ticket if you fire an extra thrust, or the future astronomers or even astronauts. NM 21:31 PDT 30 04:28 12:35 21:00 space cops will give you a 5 MPH — Hsin I Huang, courtesy. [email protected] Nearer Planets: R. A. Dec. Mercury, 0.58 A.U., Mag. 1.4 The students in the Project Astro 07 06:04 13:01 19:57 02:55.1 +16:42 Program at Peterson Middle School, 17 05:22 12:06 18:50 02:39.0 +12:56 Sunnyvale got a special treat on March 27 04:53 11:36 18:19 02:46.3 +12:13 18. Through a special arrangement by Venus, 1.50 A.U., Mag. 4.1 fellow astronomer in the project, Brian 07 04:59 11:21 17:45 01:12.1 +05:49 Day, they toured the NASA/Ames 17 04:50 11:28 18:06 01:57.6 +10:17 Research Center in Mountain View. 27 04:44 11:35 18:27 02:44.4 +14:11 Everyone was excited about the Mars, 0.86 A.U., Mag. +1.1 biological research programs performed 07 01:57 06:56 11:56 20:47.6 -19:39 in the CAM. 17 01:36 06:40 11:44 21:10.9 -18:26 Later, they were led to Kuiper 27 01:15 06:23 11:31 21:33.0 -17:11 Airborne Observatory (KAO). KAO, a Jupiter, 5.52 A.U., Mag. 2.0 C-141 military cargo plane, began its Peterson Middle School students boarding the 07 11:51 18:56 02:04 08:49.4 +18:38 operation in February 1974. Flying at Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Photo by the 17 11:17 18:21 01:28 08:53.8 +18:20 41,000 feet, this unique observatory author. 27 10:45 17:47 00:52 08:59.0 +17:58 allowed astronomical observations Saturn, 9.87 A.U., Mag. +0.9 above the cloud cover. With its 36-inch 07 08:33 15:52 23:11 05:45.4 +22:30 infrared cassegrain reflecting scope, it Be a visiting astronomer in 17 07:58 15:18 22:37 05:50.3 +22:33 claims the fame of finding the rings a local school 27 07:24 14:44 22:03 05:55.5 +22:35 around Uranus, among many other Kristin Nelson, Project Astro SOL Star Type G2V Intelligent Life in System ? discoveries. You may wonder how the Hours of Darkness scope keeps fixed on a target when the 06:38 07 06:04 13:04 20:05 02:55.2 -16:42 Project ASTRO is looking for 06:11 17 05:55 13:04 20:14 03:34.3 -19:14 plane is in flight. With a special amateur or professional astronomers 05:48 27 05:48 13:05 20:22 04:14.5 -21:14 design, the scope essentially floats in who would like to work with teachers the air, according to the crew. It takes and students in 4th - 9th grade class- Astronomical Twilight: Begin End a lot of bumping, but keeps on steady rooms. This is a great opportunity to JD 2,452,766 07 04:24 21:46 observing. help kids learn science, sharing your 776 17 04:10 21:59 The plane is no longer in opera- love of astronomy with the most 786 27 03:39 22:11 tion. It is parked near the huge Muffett enthusiastic audience you can find. Hanger, visible from Freeway 101. Astronomer applications are now Sidereal Time: Before heading back to school, being accepted for the 2003 - 2004 Transit Right Ascension at Local Midnight school year. The deadline is May 9. 07 00:00 = 13:51 Space is limited to 25 partnerships. All 17 00:00 = 14:30 participants must attend a hands-on 27 00:00 = 15:10 training workshop, which will be held August 15 & 16, 2003, at the San Darkest Saturday Night: 31 May 2003 Mateo County Office of Education in Sunset 20:25 Redwood City. Twilight 22:16 More information and astronomer Moon Set 21:19 application forms are available from: Dawn Begin 03:56 Kristin Nelson, Project ASTRO, Hours Dark 05:40 Tel. 415-337-1100 ext. 101; E-mail: [email protected] Forms can also be downloaded Two students from Peterson Middle School check the accomodations in the flight deck for from: http://www.astrosociety.org/ KAO. Photo by the author. education/astro/bayarea/volunteer.html

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 6 April 2003 Officers and Board of Directors SJAA loaner scope status All scopes are available to any SJAA member; contact Mike Koop by Pres Mike Koop (408) 446-0310 email ([email protected]) or by phone at work (408) 473-6315 or home VP Bob Havner (408) 723-2559 (408) 446-0310 (Leave message). Sec Jim Van Nuland (408) 371-1307 Tres Gary Mitchell (408) 265-2336 Available scopes Dir Bill O’Shaughnessy These are scopes that are available for immediate loan, stored at (408) 984-3985 other SJAA members homes. If you are interested in borrowing one of Dir David Smith (408) 978-5503 these scopes, please contact Mike Koop for a scope pick up at any of the Dir Steve Nelson (650) 968-4733 listed SJAA events. Dir Dana Crom # Scope Description Stored by Dir Craig & Elena Scull 1 4.5" Newt/ P Mount Annette Reyes 3 4" Quantum S/C Hsin I Huang 7 12.5" Dobson Michael Lagae Ephemeris Staff 10 Star Spectroscope Lew Kurtz 15 8” Dobson Vikram Keshavamurthy Editors Jane Houston Jones & 16 Solar Scope Bob Havner Morris Jones (415) 453-2885 23 6" Newt/P Mount John Bunyan Circulation 24 60mm Refractor Al Kestler Bob Brauer (408) 292-7695 28 13" Dobson Michael Dajewski Lew Kurtz (408) 739-7106 32 6” f/7 Dobson Sandy Mohan Dave North [email protected] 35 Meade 8” Equatorial Carl Ching Printing Accuprint (408) 287-7200 38 Meade 4.5” Digital Newt Tej Kohli Scope loans School Star Party Chairman These are scopes that have been recently loaned out. If you are Jim Van Nuland (408) 371-1307 interested in borrowing one of these scopes, you will be placed on the waiting list until the scope becomes available after the due date. Telescope Loaner Program # Scope Description Borrower Due Date Mike Koop (408) 446-0310 6 8" Celestron S/C Ashwath Kakhandiki 5/7/03 8 14" Dobson Ron Gross 4/3/03 Web Page 11 Orion XT6 Dob Tina Mia Kurth 5/22/03 Bill Arnett [email protected] 12 Orion XT8 Dob Vinod Nagarajan 4/8/03 13 Orion XT6 Dob Jay Natarajan 5/10/03 26 11" Dobson Jan Lynch 4/3/03 SJAA Email Addresses 29 C8, Astrophotography Alfred Viceral 5/9/03 Board of Directors [email protected] 34 Dynamax 8” S/C Mike Macedo 5/7/03 Announcements [email protected] 36 Celestron 8” f/6 Skyhopper Dennis Hong 5/23/03 Chat List [email protected] 37 4” Fluorite Refractor Jeff Crilly 6/3/03 Ephemeris [email protected] Circulation [email protected] Extended scope loans Telescope Loaners [email protected] These are scopes that have had their loan period extended. If you are Members Email Lists: interested in borrowing one of these scopes, we will contact the current http://www.sjaa.net/mailman/listinfo borrower and try to work out a reasonable transfer time for both parties. # Scope Description Borrower Due Date 2 6" f/9 Dob John Paul De Silva ? 9 C-11 Compustar Paul Barton Indefinite 14 8” f/8.5 Dob Tom Frerickson 4/19/03 Publication Statement SJAA Ephemeris, newsletter of the San Jose 19 6" Newt/P Mount Daryn Baker 3/27/03 Astronomical Association, is published 21 10" Dobson Ralph Seguin Repair monthly, 12 times a year, January through 27 13" Dobson Richard Savage 3/21/03 December. 33 10” Deep Space Explorer Michael Wright 2/15/03 San Jose Astronomical Association, 39 17” Dobson Patrick Lewis Repair P.O. Box 28243 San Jose, CA 95159-8243 Waiting list: 6 8” Celestron S/C Carl Ching 10 Star Spectroscope David Kingsley, Keng The Submit 12 Orion XT8 Dob Rob Hawley Submit articles for publication in the A Big Dobsonian Craig Colvin SJAA Ephemeris. Send articles to the editors via e-mail to [email protected].

SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 7 April 2003 San Jose Astronomical Association Membership Form

New Renewal (Name and corrections below) Bring this form to any SJAA Meeting Membership Type: or send (with your check) to Regular — $15 Regular with Sky & Telescope — $45 San Jose Astronomical Association Junior (under 18) — $6 P.O. Box 28243 Junior with Sky & Telescope — $36 San Jose, CA 95159-8243

Subscribing to Sky & Telescope magazine through the SJAA saves you $10 off the regular rate. (S&T will not acccept multi-year subscriptions Make your check payable to “SJAA” through the club program. Allow 2 months lead time.)

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SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 8 April 2003