Copyright© 2021 TCAA 1 All Rights Reserved Vol

Home , IC 335, Vesto Slipher

Peculiar galaxies Hoag’s object: Here is a ring galaxy. Unique and beautiful. Inside the ring at 1:00 and far in the distance is a second ring galaxy. Peculiar isn’t it?

TCAA Treasurer’s Report as of Image Credit: NASA, R. Lucas (STScI/AURA) July 27, 2021

By Sandullah Epsicokhan Here is a picture of a ring galaxy. This is an unusual object that does not fit the usual galactic form. As human beings, we tried to see patterns in things that we observe. Originally galaxies were classified based on how they looked. Exactly what classification does a galaxy like this fall into? We often talk about Edwin Hubble and how he came up with the discovery of galaxies outside of the Milky Way and a basic classification of galaxies. But it is the case, as it is in many cases, that discovery was a combination of factors. Some of the most important people behind the scenes that led up to this groundbreaking concept remain in the shadows of Dr. Hubble. Additionally, we have learned more about how peculiar galaxies are formed.

Also, visit the North Visit Astronomical League Central Region of the at www.astroleague.org/ Astronomical League for more information (NCRAL) website at about the League and ncral.wordpress.com its numerous member for information about benefits and observing our North Central programs. Region and the status of our regional activities. Copyright© 2021 TCAA 1 All rights Reserved Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers The OBSERVER is the monthly electronic newsletter of President’s note Twin City Amateur Astronomers, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit educational By Tim Stone organization of amateur astronomers interested in studying astronomy and With another death in my family and a flooded basement sharing their hobby with the public. because of the record rainfall a few weeks ago, my July has been anything but what I’d hoped for. The basement is fixable, of TCAA OFFICERS AND course, and none of my astronomy equipment was damaged in CHAIRPERSONS the least (thank goodness!), but nothing can bring my loved ones

President, Director, and back. All I can say is even if taking care of yourself isn’t that TCAA President Property Manager important to you, it is likely extremely important to those who Tim Stone Tim Stone ·················· 309-531-2401 love you. Please, please take care of your health, if for no other [email protected] reason than to spare those you love the grief of losing you prematurely. Vice President, Director and Naturally, when events like these happen, it’s time to take stock of things and make Membership Coordinator Tom Willmitch ············· 309-846-2423 changes where needed. The basement flood affords a good opportunity to get rid of stuff [email protected] that’s been stored down there for ages, kept for a “just in case” that will never happen. Treasurer, Director and Experiencing the death of someone close, though, draws us up short and makes us ask Registered Agent lots of questions, many of which are not particularly answerable. Part of our response Dave Osenga ·············· 309-287-0789 must be to ask ourselves “What do I need to change?” What do I need to do to lower my [email protected] blood pressure? What do I need to do to lower my weight? What do I need to do to lower Secretary my stress? There are things in my life that, if left unattended, will kill me. I have already Lisa Wentzel made some changes in my life, and I’ll be making more in the time ahead. [email protected] One of the things I haven’t changed, and won’t change, is my love for learning, especially about things astronomical. In the last two difficult months, the universe has 4th Director, Assistant Property Manager and provided me with a context for my problems and griefs. When looking at the stars, it’s Astronomical League Correspondent not at all difficult to conclude these troubles are not all there is. There is a place where Scott Wade ················· 309-310-2464 they are not at all troublesome, swallowed up in the immensity and beauty of all of [email protected] creation. There is a wonderful comfort in the predictability of a sunrise, the nightly and 5th Director annual motions of the stars across the sky and looking at light that is incredibly old. Even Sunil Chebolu ·············· 678-896-5967 [email protected] though the universe changes all the time, it is a constant in my life and my love for it has only grown because of my recent life events. Historian There are reasons we do what we love, reasons to love astronomy. Some of them are Carl J. Wenning ··········· 309-830-4085 [email protected] shallow, self-gratification reasons, but I challenge you to dig deeper to find the deeper, far more significant reasons for spending time with the universe. It is there for you, even Technology Coordinator and Newsletter Editor in your hours of deepest need. Sandullah Epsicokhan··· 309-828-0227 Keep looking up! [email protected] Webmaster Lee Green ················· 309-824-2804 TCAA summer potluck picnic! [email protected] By Carl Wenning The club will hold its traditional summer potluck picnic at Sugar Grove Nature Center on The OBSERVER Saturday, August 14th. This is also the date of the 137th Stubblefield-Funk Reunion! The reunion Editor, Sandullah Epsicokhan event should be over by 3:30 PM and then there will be another group there from 4-7 PM. SGNC Please submit your contribution two days Director Angela Funk has informed us that they are having a huge tent set up on the lawn for the prior to the end of the month. Thank you! reunion (to seat 150). So, between the two spaces (the picnic shelter and the tent) there should be MEMBERSHIP DUES room for TCAA to enjoy as well. Individual Adult/Family $40 In addition, Saturday, August 14th, is also the date of the August public viewing session featuring Full-time Student/Senior $25 (Senior status equals ages 60+) Darren Erickson as speaker and Our Amazing Moon as the topic. The public viewing session is slated from 8:30-10:30 AM. The picnic will begin at 7:00 PM. This will allow 90 minutes for the event which should be more TO JOIN TCAA than adequate. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to share, their own table setting, and drink. Unless Please send your name, contact someone coordinates it, there will be no featured entrée. I think that there is a charcoal grill there, information and dues payment to: but I don’t remember. Someone will have to bring charcoal, lighter fluid, and a starter if you wish to Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer 1109 N. Linden St. cook entrees on site. Normal, IL 61761-1471. I will be in Wisconsin on this date, so someone else will need to coordinate the picnic; Darren will be giving the talk and coordinating the public viewing session.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS The following individuals have paid Peculiar galaxies dues for new or renewed member- ships as of May 11, 2021. (Others By Sandullah Epsicokhan who paid after that date will appear in the July 2021 issue of The Solar System Ambassador OBSERVER.)

What happens when one Galaxy collides with another? The Welcome! result can often be described as something that is very peculiar. Renewing: Matthew Will When galaxies merge you can sometimes get interactions that If you have received a “your dues are due” statement along with the contort the shape, size, and composition of the galaxies. The email that brought you this issue of massive gravitational forces of galaxies interacting can result in The OBSERVER, please remit your distortion of one or more of the galaxies. These uniquely dues to Mr. Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., distorted galaxies are one class of what we call “peculiar” Normal, IL 61761-1471. Dues are galaxies. currently $25 for seniors (60 years of age and over) and $40 regular.

SUBSCRIBING TO THE TCAA EMAIL LIST Welcome to the [email protected] group at Groups.io. This is a free, easy-to-use group email service set up for the TCAA’s communication purposes. You can subscribe, visit your group, start reading and post- ing messages here. https://groups.io/g/tcaa The email address for this group is: [email protected]. After you successfully subscribe, please add this email address to your safe sender list in your email client's contacts, so emails from this list do not end up getting classified as junk mail. NGC 2623: Peculiar Merging Galaxies from Hubble Once subscribed, you can set your Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA subscription settings here: https://groups.io/g/tcaa/editsub. You can opt to receive all messages Dr. Edwin Hubble stands out as one of the most recognizable in individual emails, collections of names in astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope is named after messages in a digest, a daily summary, or only special notices. If him. At the time of this writing, the telescope has been in orbit for you do not wish to belong to this over 30 years. The discoveries it is made has changed astronomy group, you may unsubscribe by and our understanding of the cosmos. After a Hubble telescope sending an email to: computer failure in June of 2021, it is not clear how long this [email protected] fantastic tool will be available. We'll have to wait and see what If you have general questions about the group, check email: new instruments can tell us in the future. Edwin Hubble joined the army during the Great War also [email protected]. known as World War I. He served as a Major in a unit that was never deployed into For questions not answered there, contact the moderators of this group action but after the war preferred to be addressed as “Major”. After he studied law at (Deva C., Tim S., and Carl W.) by Oxford University in England, he maintained a British accent after returning home. emailing (Continued on page 4) [email protected].

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

(Peculiar galaxies — Continued from page 3) Hubble earned his PhD in astronomy from the University of Chicago. It is said that Hubble did not shy away from being the Vesto Slipher center of attention. However, I wonder if Hubble would have Dr. Vesto Slipher was the first to provide been able to impact astronomy as he did without the work of data demonstrating that distant galaxies Henrietta Leavitt, Albert Einstein, Geoges Lemaître, Visto Slipher, are redshifted. This information is the and Milton Humason. It was Leavitt who found that variable basis for showing the expansion of the stars could give us an accurate measure of the star’s distance universe. Edwin Hubble got permission to use Slipher’s work, and have Humason from Earth. And it was Milton Humason who collected the key gather measurement that led to what we spectrographic data as the foundation for Hubble’s work. now know as the Hubble–Lemaître's law.

Henrietta Leavitt proposed the expansion of the universe nor was he the first to measure the redshifts of the galaxies. Hubble did put together Henrietta Leavitt is a giant in the world of the measurements of Humason, and Sipher, the theory of astronomy. What she did enabled others Einstein, the concepts of Lemaître and the law of Leavitt into to build on her work and make great what we know today as Hubble’s law. (Today it is called the discoveries. Whereas Edwin Hubble as a Hubble—Lemaître law.) This law states that galaxies are space telescope named after him, Levin moving away from earth it speeds proportional to their has an asteroid named after her as well distance. This led to future analysis that shows that Hubble’s as a crater on the far side of the moon. proposal is not exact. The true impact of the law is that the universe is expanding in all directions and not just from Earth. Hubble focused on studying what was called nebula at the Today's theories indicate that the expansion is accelerating. time. He particularly was trying to find evidence supporting or These newer theories lead into the concepts of dark energy refuting the question of an expanding universe. A 1915 and dark matter but that's not something that will be publication by Albert Einstein indicated that the universe was discussed in this article. expanding. Hubble took the information gathered by Edwin Hubble also gave us a classification scheme for Humason on the redshift of nebula. They jointly published a galaxies. Today we call it the Hubble tuning fork. It classifies paper indicating how the known universe at that time was galaxies in different states of elliptical or spiral. We have other expanding. classifications today that go into more detail. A basic classification would be elliptical, spiral, barred spiral, lenticular, dwarf, and irregular. Notice the peculiar, or ring Milton Humason are not listed. Milton Humason left school at the age of 14 and moved to California. At on time he worked as a “mule skinner” hauling materials up Mount Wilson during the construction of the observatory. His data collection was key to Hubbell’s success. He felt data was more permanent than theories. He discovered a comet that bears his name.

Nevertheless, the original understanding of the red shift of galaxies did not come from Hubble. Hubble had to get permission to use the work of another astronomer who had done the groundbreaking work on this topic. That astronomers name was Vesto Slipher. Original publications by Hubble failed to mention the work done by Dr. Slipher. It was only in later publications that Hubbell acknowledged Slipher’s foundational work. Before Hubble, Geoges Lemaître was the first to propose Image Credit: NASA that galaxies moving away from us could be explained by an expanding universe. Therefore, Hubble was not the first (Continued on page 5)

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

(Peculiar galaxies—Continued from page 4) Spiral galaxies have arms radiating from a central bulge of stars. They have active star formation but are more Galaxies of unusual size shape or composition can fall isolated than elliptical galaxies. These galaxies are gas rich. into the category of being peculiar. Peculiar galaxies comprise 5 to 10% of the known galaxies. They can either be interacting galaxies or active galactic nuclei galaxies (AGNs). Many peculiar galaxies are formed due to the collision of one or more galaxies. These collisions not only result in odd shapes for the galaxies, but they can also cause rapid star formation. Peculiar galaxies form from regular galaxies. They can take the shape of distorted spirals or other classifications

Geoges Lemaître Geoges Lemaître is credited as being the first apply Einstein’s theory to explain that an expanding universe could account for the movement of nearby galaxies. This theory was confirmed two years later by Edwin Hubble. Lemaître also proposed the big bang theory for the creation of the universe. Credits: Hubble Image: NASA, ESA, K. Kuntz (JHU), F. Bresolin (University of Hawaii), J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Lab), J. Mould (NOAO), Y.-H. Chu (University of Illinois, Urbana) and STScI; CFHT as interactions with other galaxies occur. With the large Image: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/J.-C. Cuillandre/Coelum; spirals of the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way Galaxy NOAO Image: G. Jacoby, B. Bohannan, M. Hanna/NOAO/AURA/NSF approaching each other, in several billion years we can expect that the beautiful spirals of these two galaxies will become “peculiar”. Lenticular galaxies fall between spiral and elliptical galaxies. These galaxies have a disc in a central bulge but no obvious spiral arms. They have limited new star formation Elliptical galaxies have a smooth featureless distribution and are mostly made up of older stars. of stars. They have very little star formation taking place. They are usually found in galaxy clusters, and they don't contain much gas. The largest known galaxies are elliptical galaxies.

Eleptical galaxy ESO 325-G004 Credit NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA);Acknowledgment: J. Blakeslee (Washington State University) Lenticular galaxy IC 335 Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA

(Continued on page 6)

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

(Peculiar galaxies — Continued from page 5) Irregular galaxies don't fall into any of these categories. They are usually the result of gravitational deformation between Barred spiral galaxies have a bar shaped band of stars that multiple galaxies. goes out to the spiral arms. It is theorized that many of the larger galaxies fall into this category. The Milky Way Galaxy is believed to be a bar shaped galaxy.

M82—The Cigar Galaxy Credits: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Herit- age Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 Credit: Hubble Heritage Team, ESA, (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley NASA (National Science Foundation)

Albert Einstein Dr. Albert Einstein developed the theories of relativity. His work predicted gravitational waves, gravitational time dilation, gravitational redshift, and deflection of light. Some of the profound implications of his work has taken decades to prove. Often his name is used as a synonym for genius.

Dwarf galaxies make up a majority of all the galaxies in the known universe. They are small galaxies that sometimes orbit other galaxies in collide with their larger partners getting absorbed in the process.

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 4394 Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt Irregular dwarf galaxy UGC 4879 Image credit: NASA/ESA

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers The Illinois State University Planetarium Presents

The ISU Planetarium is open, and we’re thrilled to welcome you back to our dome! In celebration, we have a great new show for you. Journey to three world-class Atacama desert observatories in Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries. Show times are Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays at 2 PM and 7:30 PM, beginning August 13. This full-dome planetarium show explores Chile’s rugged Andes Mountains and arid Atacama Desert -- remote, extreme regions that offer perfect conditions for astronomical research. There, visit the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and Gemini South Observatory, which use optical telescopes to collect and magnify visible light with giant mirrors. Then, trek to the Atacama Large Millimeter/ Submillimeter Array (ALMA), a radio telescope with sixty-six networked antennae that collect radio waves from deep space. Along the way, you’ll meet an inspiring cast of astronomers, engineers, technicians, and support staff who keep these incredible telescopes running. After each program, we point out highlights found in the current evening sky; including the bright stars, constellations, and planets visible from Central Illinois. Admission to the ISU Planetarium is $5 for adults; $4 for children ages 5-12, ISU students with ID, and seniors; and $3.00 for children ages 3-4. Tickets are available in the Planetarium Gift Shop, next to the Planetarium, beginning 20 minutes before each show. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. The ISU Planetarium is located under the white domed roof at the eastern end of Felmley Hall of Science Annex. Felmley Hall is located on the northeast corner of the ISU campus at the intersection of College Avenue and School Street. Atacama radio telescope Mirror Cleaning Free parking for the Planetarium’s weekend programs is available a short distance from the ISU Planetarium in the University’s red tag F-67 parking lot, located on the east side of School Street. Following the latest CDC guidance and Illinois State University policy, face coverings are required in all University public indoor spaces. This includes the ISU Planetarium. For more information, please call the ISU Physics Department at (309) 438-8756 or visit our web site by Googling Illinois State University Planetarium.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers Exploring space with astronomy

By Jamey Jenkins July 3rd Solar Observations After about a year hiatus for this telescope, I wheeled out the 125mm f/18 refractor for a look- see at the spectacular sunspot group AR2835. The Sun had AR2837 ? been quite active recently, but clouds and rain prevented any personal observations. Here's a picture of the long refractor setup for white light imaging with an Imaging Source DMK41 camera. My attached WL AR2834 photo is through this telescope with a AR2836 Baader objective filter and Baader Continuum (540nm) supplementary filter. I've included the Spaceweather.com whole disc image for reference to my images which all have north up and east left. Also attached are Hydrogen -alpha images of AR2835, a prominence on the solar limb directly below AR2835, and a pair of images showing the change in appearance over of 4 minute time period of a minor flare in the unnamed region at the 2 o’clock position in the Spaceweather image. These images I obtained with a 102mm ED refractor at F/14 and a Daystar Quark Chromosphere H-alpha filter.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers Measuring the Straight Wall

By Shloka Chebolu and Srishti Chebolu

When you look at the moon on a clear night sky through a telescope, you can see all sorts of things such as craters, mountains, and valleys. One of the most striking lunar attractions is Rupes Recta, most commonly Srishti Chebolu Shloka Chebolu known as “The Straight Wall,” a fault line in the southern part of the moon called the Mare Nubium. When the sun shines on the straight wall at an angle, it creates a long shadow that can be seen through a telescope. On the right is a picture of the moon taken by Sunil Chebolu from a Celestron 130 mm telescope and a Google pixel camera. The straight wall is circled in red. The wall takes shape as a vertical line but is adequately rugged with a shallow slope. It is somehow connected to the lava stream by the Mare Nubium, where it remains. Because of the lack of rainfall and The Straight Wall sources of erosion, the big cliff has lasted over time. However, there is (Circled in red) some erosion on the moon because of the seismic activity that had Credit both photos: Sunil Chebolu maybe led to cause some rocks to topple off the straight wall. A question we are interested in is: How long is the straight wall? We will use the theory of proportions and do an indirect calculation to answer this question. But before we measure the straight wall, let us tackle a more mundane problem that captures the main idea of proportions.

Problem: Imagine there is a streetlight pole in front of your house. How do you measure its height without direct measurement?

Solution: On a sunny day, first measure your height and the length of your shadow. Then, measure the pole’s shadow. Finally, put these three numbers into a proportion using the similarity of right triangles, as shown in the lower right photograph. Similarity of triangles using shadows to find the length of the pole

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

Image credit: NASA Aerial image of the Ice rift in Antarctica. Image cedit: From Skysafari pro app Photographed Nov. 10, 2016 by NASA’s IceBridge mission.

(Measuring the Straight Wall —Continued from page 9) 3475 km. Setting up a proportion as above, we get if Solving the equation displayed in the light pole 0.4/13 = l/3475. picture by cross multiplying gives, Solving this equation gives h = 108 x 54/23 = 253.5 cm. I = 0.4*3475/13, Thus, we have indirectly figured out that the or approximately 107 km height of the pole is approximately 2.53 meters. (For The true answer from Wikipedia is 110 km. an even simpler problem, use a twig or stick and It is quite fascinating that there is a similar follow this same procedure. If you measure structure to the straight wall on earth, which is the something small, you can also check your answer by ice rift in Antarctica. This rift has almost the same measuring it with a tape or ruler. ) length as the straight wall on the moon. The length Now let us return to our original question. How of the rift is 70 miles which is approximately 110 km. long is the straight wall? We can apply a similar (pun Conclusion: intended) trick by looking at a photograph of the We applied the theory of proportions and straight wall on the moon. measurements from a digital photo of the moon to The diameter of the moon and the length of the estimate that the straight wall on the moon is 110 straight wall. km. We observe that the length of the straight wall The diameter (d) of the moon and the length (l) is about the same as the length of the ice rift in of the straight wall are proportional. This means the Antarctica. ratio of these actual numbers as measured on the moon and the numbers measured from the above Sunil Chebolu supervised his daughter Shloka image are the same. Chebolu (5th grader) and his niece Srishti Chebolu In the image of the moon above, (6th grader) on this project. It is good to see young d = 13 cm, and l = 0.4 cm. students produce some outstanding astronomical It is well known that the diameter of the moon is work! - Editor.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers AstroBits – News from around the TCAA

by TCAA Historian Carl Wenning the following: Tim Stone, Sharon MacDonald, Sunil Chebolu,  While there have been a few cloud- Sandullah Epsicokhan, Mike Julien, Devanand and Vik Chatrathi, free nights over the past month, hardly any and joining in at the last-minute Troy Berg. Fortunately, Dave of them have been smoke free. Plumes recorded the meeting using Zoom. The meeting can be viewed from the summer wildfires out west have online until mid-August at https://bit.ly/3rmo4zp. You WILL obliterated any evenings that might have need to use this passcode to access the video: ffUp3U=@. been free of clouds and the moon.  NCRAL Chair and TCAA member Carl Wenning attending the Hopefully, with the approach of autumn Astronomical League (AL) national council meeting on Saturday, the skies will be free of this perpetual July 17th. This four-hour meeting had many interesting aspects haze. for our club which will be described more fully in the Autumn  Heavy rains (totaling more than 10”) 2021 issue of the NCRAL newsletter Northern Lights. Among that fell from June 24-26 resulted in flooding along Timber the many aspects are the following: Creek that passes by Sugar Grove Nature Center. The first event ○ This summer’s AL convention will be held online August 18- washed out County Road 500 just east of the Sudden Impact 21. Registration is free and those who register will be Paintball Games. In subsequent days, the road was temporarily eligible for over $7,000+ worth of door prizes. (You need repaired with gravel. During mid-July, another heavy rain fall not be present to win!) See the Summer 2021 issue of closed the road again as shown in the accompanying image. Reflector for details. Some $10,000 was spent by Sugar Grove Township during the ○ An International Region of the AL has been formally summer of 2020 to repair similar damage last year. approved, and the details are now being worked out to benefit countries whose economies won’t generally support regular dues payments. ○ The AL website is going to be updated and moved to a new service provider with a major infusion of money over the next two years. ○ The League’s Bylaws are being rewritten, with special input to be provided by Carl Wenning about the duties of Regional officers and Representatives. ○ ALCon 2022 will be held in Albuquerque, NM and ALCon 2023 will be held in Baton Rouge, LA. A joint international venture is on deck for 2024 in a foreign location and with another astronomy group TBA.  Carl Wenning gave a 35-minute Harry Potter @ Hogwarts School of Astronomy talk to 17 Girl Scouts and 5 leaders on the evening of Monday, July 19th. The talk was presented at Camp Tapawingo northwest of Metamora, Illinois. Afterward, sky viewing was limited to the moon due to low sky transparency cause by atmospheric moisture and smoke from wildfires out west.  The TCAA Board, officers, and chairs had a brief picnic prior to th  Ten club members attended the online membership meeting the Board of Directors meeting on July 20 . The picnic featuring a very interesting and informative talk by Dave commenced at 6:30 PM and the meeting ended just after 10 Osenga on Thursday, July 15th. Dave spoke glowingly about the PM. See the meeting minutes for details. ten TCAA Guides written by Carl Wenning, Jamey Jenkins, and  The TCAA Board, officers, and chairs had a brief picnic prior to Lee Green, and encouraged members to read each of them for the Board of Directors meeting on July 20th. The picnic the treasures that they contain. (See https://tcaa.us/ commenced at 6:30 PM and the meeting ended just after 10 TCAAGuides.aspx.) Augmenting Dave’s comments where words PM. See the meeting minutes for details. of history and advice provided by Carl who authored 8 of the 10  Carl Wenning gave two summer camp talks to youth the YMCA Guides. Dave noted that Carl’s vast experience and heartfelt at Weldon Springs State Park south of Clinton on Monday, July comments are contained within his collection of writings. The 26. A total of 40 students were in attendance, most 1st through free-flowing discussion led to some interesting insights about 3rd grade, several of whom were brilliant! Each talk was both the Guides and future TCAA activities. (Subsequent to the approximately 45 minutes long. Talks featured the meeting, the 2016 version of Introduction to Amateur constellations, motions of the planets, and phases of the moon. Astronomy was replaced with an updated 2019 edition.) In Afterward, the groups observed the featureless sun using Carl’s attendance at the meeting in addition to Dave and Carl were CPC 8” telescope.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers Weather and observing

by Observing Programs Chair better way to see what the atmosphere currently looks like than by Carl Wenning using the RealEarth app on my iPhone. This app provides up-to-the- minute satellite images of what the atmosphere looks like, showing August, September, and October are the such things as cloud cover and water vapor in the atmosphere. three best months of the year for When it comes to radar images (great for looking at precipitation), I astronomical observing. This is so because of the growing frequency of clear skies, use MyRadar that is also available for cell phones and tablets. Once it is clear that there will be a suitable night for viewing ahead, I fewer smoke plumes from wildfires raging begin planning my observing session. out west, lower temperatures, fewer bugs, earlier sunsets, and longer nights. Now is Forest and range fires out west have become a serious the time to prepare for late-summer and observing problem in recent years. What might otherwise have been good summer nights for viewing have been ruined by plumes early-autumn observations. of smoke reaching the Midwest and obscuring the stars. The Of course, daily weather forecasts must be checked out before extensive planning will occur. In this article I presence of these plumes can be recognized by the murky sky, red sunsets, and even smell. Observers can see smoke plume extent by point out several applications that I use for doing so as requested going to https://fire.airnow.gov/. I recommend turning off the air last month by member Joshua Gardner. Before I do so, however, quality monitor locations so one can get the best impression. allow me to mention a bit about our climate – the general trends in Central Illinois weather. Jamey Jenkins has written an excellent seven-page guide for planning observing sessions. TCAA Guide #6: Have a Successful According to the Clear Dark Sky website, the record of viewing Observing Session provides information about the seven p’s nights available per two-week interval depends strongly on the time of year. The table below, indicates that at SGO for the first two required to have a successful observing session: passion, weeks of August, on average 78% of the nights are suitable for preparation, programs, planning, perseverance, patience, and presentation. Once you have planned your observing session, you planetary observing, 24% for deep sky observing, and 43% for CCD should arrange to get the maximum benefit out of your activity by imaging.

applying the guidance provided in TCAA Guide #8: Optimizing On an annual basis, the numbers are much lower showing the important of getting out during the late summer and early autumn Observations of Deep Sky Objects. Of course, the joy of observing is only increased when you do it for viewing. (See the table below giving annual figures.) August as part of a community as pointed out in TCAA Guide #3: Astronomy through October is the time of year when we have the most as a Hobby. If you’d like to go out viewing, just drop a note on the opportunities for viewing. These data are available at https://www.cleardarksky.com/clmt/c/SGOILct.html. TCAA listserv asking others to join you. If you are not subscribed to

When the sky looks promising for observing (as indicated by a this listserv, then seen the instructions for doing so on page 3 of this dark blue late-in-the-day sky), I turn to WeatherBug (available for cell phones and tablets) to get a general weather forecast. If the newsletter. These latter two TCAA Guides (#8 and #3) were written by yours forecast looks promising, I turn next to Clear Sky Chart for Sugar truly, and all three publications received high praise during last Grove Observatory. A member of the TCAA generously sponsors Clear Sky Chart (available in iOS and Android formats) so that we can month’s general membership meeting hosted online by Dave get more frequent forecast updates and supplemental information. Osenga using Zoom. This event was recorded and is available only until mid-August at https://bit.ly/3rmo4zp. Please note that the Clear Sky Chart is my first “goto” astronomical weather following passcode must be used to access the recording: forecasting service. Despite these sponsored forecasts, there is no ffUp3U=@. Copyright© 2021 TCAA 12 All rights Reserved

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers Public viewing sessions for 2021

The schedule for the TCAA’s public viewing sessions is below. All dates are Saturdays, and all events are planned for the picnic shelter at Sugar Grove Nature Center. Everyone in attendance is being asked to observe standard COVID-19 precautions including the following: (1) Properly worn masks (over the mouth and nose) will be required for all attendees (except for active speakers) and extra masks will be available in both adult and children’s sizes so please bring your own; (2) social distancing will be expected for those outside of immediate family groups; please remain 6 feet away from others; and (3) hand sanitizer will be required prior to viewing with telescopes. Pandemic precautions will be announced twice, before and after the public talk. The club will provide masks, hand sanitizer, and alcohol wipes for those need them.

August 14: Our Amazing Moon (Darren Erickson) 8:30 – 10:30 PM The moon has many regular features and changing appearances. Learn about our nearest neighbor in space and observe the 5-day-old moon through a telescope. September 11: The ISS: Past, Present, and Future (Lee Green) 7:30 – 9:30 PM The International Space Station has been orbiting Earth since its launch in 2000. Since that time, millions of Earthlings have seen it course across our morning and evening sky. If you’ve never seen it, learn where, when, and how to do so. October 9: Jupiter & Saturn (Mark & Nataya Boulware) 7:00 – 9:00 PM Jupiter and Saturn offer stark contrasts when compared to the inner planets. We will review how and why they formed in their current locations and their impact on the formation of the rest of the solar system. We will learn how the two greatest planets are similar yet different.

TCAA monthly online meeting for August The TCAA membership will meet online using Zoom for next regular monthly membership meeting on Thursday evening, August 19th, at 7:00 PM. Our Next speaker Evidence for Evolution of the for our 2021 series will be TCAA Historian and Observing Chair Carl Wenning, who will Aug 19: Universe (Carl Wenning) speak about Evidence for Evolution of the Universe. The Zoom link (and other information) for the meeting is: Analog and Digital Computers in Sep 16: Astronomy (Carl Wenning) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87689232495?pwd=bDlyTUoxRzFlRUVEekJiYVFnZURiQT09 The Sun and the Amateur Oct 21: Meeting ID: 876 8923 2495 Passcode: 025485 Astronomer (Jamey Jenkins) The club’s regular membership meetings consist of a speaker (club members this year) to be followed with time for Q&A. Following the presentation, time for socializing NEW How to Plan, Organize, Complete, will be provided. If desired, breakout rooms for small group discussions can be made DATE! & Submit an AL Observing Program Nov 23: (Lisa Wentzel) available. Either Dave Osenga or Carl Wenning will serve as Zoom meeting manager. The TCAA president will preside at these functions as normal. No business will be conducted TCAA Stories from Days Gone By at regular membership meetings as the club’s affairs are managed by the TCAA Board of Dec 16: (Tim Stone et al.) Directors. The list of remaining dates, topics, and speakers for 2021 is in the table on the right.

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

The following table gives the date and time (24-hour clock) of important astronomical events for this month. All events are given in Central Standard Time.

Date Time Event Date Time Event 1 8 Mercury at Superior Conjunction 1 23 Saturn at Opposition 16 12:34 Antares 4.5°S of Moon 2 1:35 Moon at Apogee: 404412 km 17 3:23 Moon at Perigee: 369127 km 2 20:51 Moon at Ascending Node 18 21 Mercury 0.1°S of Mars 6 13:42 Pollux 3.1°N of Moon 19 17 Jupiter at Opposition 8 7:50 NEW MOON 20 16:19 Saturn 3.7°N of Moon 9 18:42 Mars 4.3°S of Moon 21 22:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon 11 1:00 Venus 4.3°S of Moon 22 6:02 FULL MOON 12 12 13 Perseid Meteor Shower 29 20:22 Moon at Apogee: 404100 km 15 9:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON 29 23:13 Moon at Ascending Node 16 10:04 Moon at Descending Node 30 1:13 LAST QUARTER MOON Calendar of Astronomical Events courtesy of Fred Espenak Sky Event Almanac 2021 ( Central Standard Time ) (astropixels.com)

Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

EVENING SKY MAP

Click on the icon found here to access a current evening sky map along with a more detailed celestial events calendar. www.skymaps.com

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers TCAA Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 8:00 PM Home of Carl Wenning in Normal The meeting was called to order at 8:03 pm. Vice- 4. Webmaster – Lee Green was unable to attend the President Tom Willmitch chaired the meeting. meeting. Carl said that in recent correspondence with Lee, Lee looks forward to transitioning Reports of Existing Officers & Chairs: webmaster duties to the new webmaster once the 1. President and Chief Property Manager – Tim Stone new website is up. He offered his assistance during was unable to attend this meeting. Scott Wade this process. We appreciate the many years of reported that there was no damage at the service Lee has volunteered to the club as its Waynesville Observatory (WO) after the recent webmaster. storms. Prairie Sky Observatory (PSO) showed signs of a little water but there appeared to be no Old Business: damage. 1. NCRAL Affiliate Recruitment Grant - With the COVID 2. VP & Member Coordinator – Tom Willmitch stated shutdown, the ISU Astronomy Club has become that the ISU Planetarium is scheduled to re-open to inactive. Since Tom is now the club’s sole advisor, the public on August 13. This raises the possibility of he will work to revive the club so that the NCRAL TCAA programs at the facility. However it is unclear grant can be used to have it become an NCRAL what, if any, COVID restrictions might be imposed affiliate. by the university. 2. ISU Observational Astronomy Course – Tom reports 3. Secretary – Lisa Wentzel had nothing to report. that this is still in the brainstorming phase and is 4. Treasurer and Registered Agent – Dave Osenga will likely take about two years to come to fruition. 3. Update on the New TCAA Website – Deva Chatrathi Checking $2,105.63 presented the new website after the meeting Savings $1,818.14 concluded. The Secretary was not present. Total $3,923.77 4. Donation of Orion AstroView 90mm EQ from “Robin” – This was tabled until the next meeting. reported the following in the TCAA accounts: All required federal and state tax and corporation New Business: forms have been filed for 2021. 1. SGNC Projector Screen – Sunil will explore methods 1. AL Correspondent – Scott noted that Sunil Chebolu of cleaning and/or costs to replace the extremely (May) and Joshua Gardner (June) each completed dirty projector screen at SGNC. the NCRAL Spring Messier Marathon observing 2. November Online Meeting – The November Online program. Congratulations to Sunil and Joshua! meeting originally scheduled for November 18 has 2. Historian and Observing Coordinator – Carl been rescheduled to Tuesday, November 23, 2021 Wenning continues work on historical articles about at 6:30 pm. the TCAA. He has completed four articles and plans 3. Looking Ahead at our Schedule of Events (Carl) to publish more in future editions of The OBSERVER. a. 2021 Summer Picnic - The club will hold its Unfortunately, due to stormy weather and wildfire traditional summer potluck picnic at Sugar Grove smoke, Carl has not recently hosted any observing Nature Center on Saturday, August 14th, from 7:00- sessions at SGNC. 8:30 pm. Immediately following the potluck we will 3. Editor and Technology Coordinator – Sandullah have our August public viewing session featuring Epsicokhan was unable to attend the meeting. The Darren Erickson as speaker and Our Amazing Moon group discussed the outstanding quality of The as the topic. The public viewing session is slated OBSERVER newsletters and commended Sandullah from 8:30-10:30 pm. on his fine work. (Continued on page 16)

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

(Continued from page 15) b. The league now offers an International Region with b. 2021 Autumn Training at PSO – The Kodaroamers free membership for international members. Camera Club has asked for an astrophotography However, international members may be asked to class perhaps around late September. pay a la carte for some benefits that are included Scott will coordinate with Sandullah who is a within US members’ dues. There are currently member of that club. Scott and Tim will teach the international members in Ireland and Israel. class. Carl will coordinate with SGNC as necessary. c. The Astroleague.org website is in the process of As a condition of class participation, the being updated. At a cost of $9,000 to the league, participants will join the TCAA. the website is expected to be updated from Drupal c. 2022 PVS brochure – Sunil volunteered to plan the 7 to Drupal 9 and then migrated to WordPress. 2022 PVS offerings. The deadline for submitting to d. The national bylaws are being reviewed and bopi will likely be in November. Carl will assist Sunil possibly rewritten. Carl has been assigned to the with the production work. committee on Sections. d. 2022 IAA course (spring) – Darren Erickson has 7. ALCon 21 Door Prize? (Carl) – The directors agreed volunteered to teach the Introduction to Amateur to offer a $250 Highpoint Scientific gift certificate as Astronomy course. Details will need to be worked an ALCon 21 door prize to be offered by the TCAA. out between him, Tom Willmitch, and Carl Dave will purchase the certificate. Sunil proposed Wenning. the door prize. Scott seconded the motion. e. 2022 Kid’s night course (summer) – The group 8. 11” Nexstar hand controller – Dave noted that the discussed the possibility of an evening astronomy hand controller for the recently donated 11” Nexstar camp for kids. Ideas suggested included restricting does not work. The board authorized the purchase participation to- 8 12 year-olds, coordinating with of a replacement hand controller. Sunil proposed local church or scout clubs, and promoting the purchase. Scott seconded the motion. binocular astronomy. All were supportive of the 9. Carl reiterated his desire to see the 11” Nexstar concept. Carl will continue to flesh out this idea for located at WO for visual use, and stated he is willing further discussion. to pay for a dome should the club be willing to pay 4. Hyderbad Astronomy Club (Deva) – Deva proposed for the concrete base upon which to locate it. establishing a sister club with the Hyderbad 10. The next board meeting will be held on September Astronomy Club in India. He suggested that we 21, 2021 at 6:30 pm at Carl’s house. coordinate with an informal Zoom call to get to know one another and share discussions about Announcements/Reminders & Adjournment observing and other club activities. The idea was 1. SGNC Road Condition – Carl cautioned the group well-received, and Deva will provide further details about post-storm road damage near SGNC. at the next meeting. 2. August 14 PVS at SGNC – Our Amazing Moon, Darren 5. NCRAL Seasonal Mini Messier Marathon Awards Erickson, 8:30 pm (Carl) – Recently earned awards that have yet to be 3. August 19 Online Meeting Topic – Evidence for the distributed will be presented at the August potluck Evolution of the Universe, Carl Wenning, 6:30 pm. picnic. 4. Register now for ALCon 21 Virtual: 6. Update from AL National Council Meeting (Carl) http://alconvirtual.org a. ALCon 21 will be held online August 18-21. The (You will be eligible to win door prizes!) event is free. To register, go to: 5. Carl displayed the 75th anniversary AL pin and AL www.alconvirtual.org. magnetic bumper sticker b. Registrants for ALCon 21 will also be eligible for door prizes. Registrants do not need to be present The meeting adjourned at 10:03 p.m. following ’Deva s to win. presentation of the new TCAA website draft. c. ALCon 21 will be held virtually and will be sponsored by the Albuquerque club. ALCon 22 will Respectfully submitted, be held “as usual” in Albuquerque. ALCon 23 is scheduled for Baton Rouge, LA. Lisa Wentzel, Secretary

Vol. 46, No. 8 The OBSERVER Twin City Amateur Astronomers

TCAA Treasurer’s Report — July 27, 2021 Checking Account Information

Memo Category Amount BALANCE 06/25/21 2,115.63 Membership Dues - IDA Dues and Subscriptions (50.00) Matthew Will Dues Received 40.00 Electrical Service Waynesville Observatory (37.71) BALANCE 07/27/2021 2,066.92

Checking Account Balance – July 27, 2021 $2,066.92 Savings Account Balance – July 27, 2021 $1,868.15 - Includes $0.01 cents interest as of this date

Total TCAA Funds – June 25, 2021 $3,885.07

All transactions are reconciled with the bank statements as of this date.

Respectfully submitted, Dave Osenga