Guidestar November, 2007 Highlights: at the November 2 Meeting
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Houston Astronomical Society GuideStar November, 2007 Highlights: At the November 2 meeting... Bob Taylor - JSCAS President ...................5 Astronomy Day 2007 ...................................6 How to Set Up a Go-To Telescope .............7 James Wooten Ceres - a Dwarf Planet ..............................10 The Red (Hot?) Planet ...............................14 The Yerkes Observatory ...........................16 Houston Museum of Natural Stars Get Clearer for Rice Astronomers .17 Science Observatory Duty Roster ..........................18 James Wooten of the HMNS Planetarium: "The Great Cosmic Year", the history of the universe HAS Web Page: (13.7 billion years) compressed into one year. At http://www.AstronomyHouston.org this scale, the universe would age over 37 million years per day!! Time would fly by at 434 years per second. See the GuideStar's Monthly Calendar of Events to confirm dates and times Understand the scale of time and how you fit in of all events for the month, and check when James Wooten presents at the Houston the Web Page for any last minute Astronomical Society. changes. Schedule of meeting activities: All meetings are at the University of Houston Science and Research building. See the inside back cover for a map to the location. Novice meeting: .............................. 7:00 p.m. Richard Nugent Introduction to Total and Grazing Occultations Site orientation meeting: ................. 7:00 p.m. Classroom 121 General meeting: ............................ 8:00 p.m. Room 117 See last page for a map and more information. GuideStar, Vol 25, #11 November, 2007 The Houston Astronomical Society Table of Contents The Houston Astronomical Society is a non-profit corporation organized under section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Society was 3 ............November/December Calendar formed for education and scientific purposes. All contributions and gifts Web site are deductible for federal income tax purposes. General membership 4 ............Observations of the Editor meetings are open to the public and attendance is encouraged. Mark Your Calendar Officers & Past President 5 ............Just Looking President: Bill Leach .........................................................H: 281-893-4057 Bob Taylor - JSCAS President Vice Pres: Ken Miller .......................................................H: 936-931-2724 6 ............Astronomy Day 2007 Secretary: Doug McCormick.............................................H: 281-996-0177 7 ............How to Set Up a Go-To Telescope Treasurer: Bill Flanagan ...................................................H:713-699-8819 Past President: Steve Sartor ............................................ 10 ............Shallow Sky Object of the Month Ceres - a Dwarf Planet 11 ............Astronomical League Additional Board Members Membership Renewals Liaison responsibility Steve Goldberg.............................713-721-5077 12 ............Logo Sales Brian Cudnik ................................. 13 ............Minutes of the October Meeting Allen Gilchrist................................ Don Pearce...................................713-432-0734 14 ............Space Place Bram Weisman ............................. The Red (Hot?) Planet John Missavage 15 ............Observatory Corner Committee Chairpersons Audit ................................................Tom Blocker ............................ Want Ads Education...........................................Richard Nugent ....................... 16 ............The Yerkes Observatory Field Tr./Obsg. ...................................George Stradley ......................281-376-5787 Novice................................................Justin McCollum ...................... 17 ............Stars Get Clearer for Rice Astronomers Observatory .......................................Bob Rogers .............................281-460-1573 18 ............17P/Holmes Brightens Program .............................................Don Pearce ............................. Publicity .............................................John Missavage ...................... 19 ............Observatory Duty Roster Telescope ..........................................Bram Weisman ........................ Paul & Kay McCallum ............. Welcoming .........................................Lee Lankford Ad-Hoc Committee Chairpersons Historian ............................................Leland Dolan ...........................713-688-0981 Librarian.............................................Peggy Gilchrist ........................281-443-8773 Special Interest Group Listing Logo Mds Sales .................................Judy Dye .................................281-498-1703 Long Range Plan ...............................Bill Leach .................................281-893-4057 Any member who wants specific information on a SIG listed below may Parliamentarian .................................Kirk Kendrick ...........................281-633-8819 Publ. Star Party .................................Richard Nugent ......................713-524-1993 call the listed individual. Also, see the "Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons" Rice U. Coord. ...................................Matt Delevoryas ......................713-666-9428 on the inside front cover and the "Special Help Volunteers" listing (not Schedule Obs'v't'y .............................Steve Goldberg .......................713-721-5077 in every issue). Texas Star Pty ...................................Steve Goldberg .......................713-721-5077 Advanced...........................Bill Leach....................281-893-4057 Special Interest Groups & Help Committees Comets ..............................Don Pearce ................713-432-0734 These are now listed on the inside of GuideStar (not every month). See the Table of Contents Lunar & Planetary ..............John Blubaugh ...........713-921-4275 Advisors Dr. Reginald DuFour, Rice Univ. Dr. Lawrence Pinsky, U. of H. Dr. Lawrence Armendarez, U. of St. Thomas Other Meetings... Dues and Membership Information Fort Bend Astronomy Club meets the third Friday of the month at 8:00 Annual Dues:Regular ..............................................$36.00 p.m. at the First Colony conference Center. Novice meeting begins at Associate ..........................................................$6.00 7:00, regular meeting begins at 8:00. Web site: http://www.fbac.org Sustaining ........................................................$50.00 Student ........................................................$12.00 Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society meets in the the Lunar Honorary .....................................................None and Planetary Institute on the 2nd Friday of each month. Web site: All members have the right to participate in Society functions and to use the http://www.ghg.net/cbr/jscas/ Observatory Site. Regular and Student Members receive a subscription to The Reflector. Regular, Student, and Honorary Members receive The GuideStar. North Houston Astronomy Club meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of Associate Members, imm ediate family members of a Regular Member, have all each month in the Teaching Theatre of the Student Center at King- membership rights, but do not receive publications. Sustaining members have wood College.Call 281-312-1650 or [email protected]. the same rights as regular members with the additional dues treated as a dona- tion to the Society. Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines are available Web site: www.astronomyclub.org to members at a discount. Membership Application: Send funds to address shown on outside cover of Guid- eStar. Attention - Treasurer, along with the following information: Name, Address, Phone Number, Special Interests in Astronomy, Do you own a Telescope? (If so, what kind?), and where you first heard of H.A.S. GuideStar, Page November/December Check the web site: www.astronomyhouston.org Calendar: Webmaster: Kay McCallum [email protected] Date Time Event Photo by Scott Mitchell he Houston Astronomical Society Web Tpage has information on the society, its November resources, and meeting information. 1 4:19 p.m. Moon at Last Quarter Want your astronomy work and name on 2 7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting, U of H the Internet for the whole world to see? 8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting, U of H Have some neat equipment? Pictures in film, 4 2:00 a.m. Daylight Savings Time Ends CCD, hand drawings or video format are all 8 2:00 p.m. Mercury at Greatest Elongation West 9 6:00 a.m. 1 Ceres at Opposition welcome on the page. Do you have an idea 5:03 p.m. New Moon to improve the page? I’m listening. Send me 10 Prime Night, Columbus Observing Site Email at [email protected]. 17 4:32 p.m. Moon at First Quarter 18 Leonid Meteors Peak 24 8:30 p.m. Full Moon 29 7:30 p.m. HAS Board Meeting, Houston Chronicle Building December 1 6:44 a.m. Moon at Last Quarter Observing Field Trip, Columbus Observing Site 7 7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting, U of H Publicity Suggestion Box 8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting, U of H 8 Prime Night, Columbus Observing Site 9 11:40 a.m. New Moon 13 7:30 p.m. HAS Board Meeting, Houston Chronicle Building I welcome any suggestions that any 14 Geminids Peak member has to offer. It doesn’t matter 17 4:17 a.m. Moon at First Quarter how trivial you think your idea may be. 22 12:10 a.m. Winter Solstice All input will be reviewed and welcomed. 24 2:00 p.m. Mars at Opposition 7:15 p.m. Full Moon 31 1:50 a.m. Moon at Last Quarter Let’s grow. Send