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Guidestar  May, 2008 Highlights: at the May 2 Meeting Houston Astronomical Society GuideStar May, 2008 Highlights: At the May 2 meeting... Tom Williams - historian .............................5 R Corona Borealis .......................................9 Stellar Compass for Space Explorers .....11 New Worlds… Minutes of the April Meeting ....................13 Extrasolar Planets HAS Web Page: Cynthia Gustava of NHAC http://www.AstronomyHouston.org It was only 20 years ago that the first extrasolar planet was confirmed. (An extrasolar planet is See the GuideStar's Monthly Calendar one which orbits a star, not our Sun.) As of April of Events to confirm dates and times of this year, 287 planets have been discovered. of all events for the month, and check Because of the methods used to discover the Web Page for any last minute planets (measuring the star's wobble) only large changes. planets very near the star have been detectable. These planets have been called hot (because they're near the star) Jupiters (because they're big). Schedule of meeting activities: Newer techniques and more accurate All meetings are at the University of Houston Science and measurements are allowing the detection of Research building. See the inside back cover for a map to the planets that more closely resemble the Earth. location. Novice meeting: .............................. 7:00 p.m. Gaining an understanding of what fraction Aaron Clevenson (NHAC) - "Nucleosynthesis" of stars have planet systems also helps us understand the likelihood of life in the universe. Site orientation meeting: ................. 7:00 p.m. Classroom 121 Space telescopes to detect even smaller and General meeting: ............................ 8:00 p.m. more distant planets are planned, so we should Room 117 expect that our understanding will increase. See last page for a map and more information. GuideStar, Vol 26, #5 May, 2008 The Houston Astronomical Society Table of Contents The Houston Astronomical Society is a non-profit corporation organized 3 .............May/June Calendar under section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Society was Web site formed for education and scientific purposes. All contributions and gifts Publicity Suggestion Box are deductible for federal income tax purposes. General membership 4 .............Observations of the Editor meetings are open to the public and attendance is encouraged. 5 .............Just Looking Officers & Past President Tom Williams - historian President: Bill Leach .........................................................H: 281-893-4057 9 .............Shallow Sky Object of the Month Vice Pres: Ken Miller .......................................................H: 936-931-2724 R Corona Borealis Secretary: Doug McCormick.............................................H: 281-996-0177 Treasurer: Bill Flanagan ...................................................H:713-699-8819 10 .............Astronomical League Past President: Steve Sartor ............................................ 11 .............Stellar Compass for Space Explorers 12 .............Membership renewals 13 .............Minutes of the April Meeting Additional Board Members 14 .............Banquet News Steve Goldberg.............................713-721-5077 Want Ads Don Pearce...................................713-432-0734 John Missavage............................ Clayton Jeter ................................ Bram Weisman ............................. Committee Chairpersons Special Interest Group Listing Audit ................................................Tom Blocker ............................ Education...........................................Richard Nugent ....................... Field Tr./Obsg. ...................................George Stradley ......................281-376-5787 Any member who wants specific information on a SIG listed below may Novice................................................Justin McCollum ...................... call the listed individual. Also, see the "Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons" Observatory .......................................Bob Rogers .............................281-460-1573 Program .............................................Brian Cudnik ............................ on the inside front cover and the "Special Help Volunteers" listing (not Publicity .............................................John Missavage ...................... in every issue). Telescope ..........................................Bram Weisman ........................ Paul & Kay McCallum ............. Welcoming .........................................Open ....................................... Advanced...........................Bill Leach....................281-893-4057 Comets ..............................Don Pearce ................713-432-0734 Ad-Hoc Committee Chairpersons Lunar & Planetary ..............John Blubaugh ...........713-921-4275 Historian ............................................Leland Dolan ...........................713-688-0981 Librarian.............................................Peggy Gilchrist ........................281-443-8773 Logo Mds Sales .................................Judy Dye .................................281-498-1703 Long Range Plan ...............................Bill Leach .................................281-893-4057 Parliamentarian .................................Kirk Kendrick ...........................281-633-8819 Publ. Star Party .................................Richard Nugent ......................713-524-1993 Rice U. Coord. ...................................Matt Delevoryas ......................713-666-9428 Schedule Obs'v't'y .............................Steve Goldberg .......................713-721-5077 Other Meetings... Texas Star Pty ...................................Steve Goldberg .......................713-721-5077 Fort Bend Astronomy Club meets the third Friday of the month at 8:00 p.m. at the First Colony conference Center. Novice meeting begins at Special Interest Groups & Help Committees 7:00, regular meeting begins at 8:00. Web site: http://www.fbac.org These are now listed on the inside of GuideStar (not every month). See the Table of Contents Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society meets in the the Lunar Advisors and Planetary Institute on the 2nd Friday of each month. Web site: Dr. Reginald DuFour, Rice Univ. http://www.ghg.net/cbr/jscas/ Dr. Lawrence Pinsky, U. of H. Dr. Lawrence Armendarez, U. of St. Thomas North Houston Astronomy Club meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of each month in the Teaching Theatre of the Student Center at King- Dues and Membership Information wood College.Call 281-312-1650 or [email protected]. Annual Dues:Regular ..............................................$36.00 Web site: www.astronomyclub.org Associate ..........................................................$6.00 Sustaining ........................................................$50.00 Student ........................................................$12.00 Honorary .....................................................None Logo Sales All members have the right to participate in Society functions and to use the Observatory Site. Regular and Student Members receive a subscription to The Reflector. Regular, Student, and Honorary Members receive The GuideStar. The Observer’s Handbooks for 2008 are Associate Members, imm ediate family members of a Regular Member, have all membership rights, but do not receive publications. Sustaining members have available. They sell for $25.00. If you would the same rights as regular members with the additional dues treated as a dona- like to have one or more, please e-mail me at tion to the Society. Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines are available to members at a discount. [email protected], call me at 281-498-1703, or see me at the meeting... Judy Dye 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 May/June 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 May Tpage has information on the society, its resources, and meeting information. 2 7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting, U of H Want your astronomy work and name on 8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting, U of H 3 Prime Night, Columbus Observing Site the Internet for the whole world to see? 5 7:18 a.m. New Moon Have some neat equipment? Pictures in film, Eta Aquarid Meteors Peak CCD, hand drawings or video format are all 12 10:46 p.m. Moon at First Quarter welcome on the page. Do you have an idea 14 11:00 p.m. Mercury at greatest elongation east to improve the page? I’m listening. Send me 20 9:11 p.m. Full Moon Email at [email protected]. 23 8:00 a.m. Mars 0.28 deg. NNE of Beehive Cluster 24 Novice Star Party, Columbus Site 28 9:57 p.m. Moon at Last Quarter 29 7:30 p.m. HAS Board Meeting, Houston Chronicle Building 31 Prime Night, Columbus Observing Site June 3 2:23 p.m. New Moon 10 10:02 a.m. Moon at First Quarter 13 7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting, U of H Publicity Suggestion Box 8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting, U of H 18 12:30 p.m. Full Moon 20 11:00 a.m. Minor Planet Pluto @ opposition I welcome any suggestions that any 6:59 p.m. Summer Solstice 26 7:10 a.m. Moon at Last Quarter member has to offer. It doesn’t matter 27 June Bootid Meteors Peak how trivial you think your idea may be.
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