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the vol. 42 no. 4 Skyscraper April 2015 AmAteur AstronomicAl society of rhode islAnd 47 PeePtoAd roAd north scituAte, rhode islAnd 02857 www.theskyscrapers.org In this issue Friday, April 10, 7:00pm 2 President’s Message at Seagrave Memorial Observatory 3 The Sun, Moon & Comparing Antarctic geology to what we can Planets in April find on Mars by Jay Dickson 4 The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica host geologic features that form nowhere else on Earth but are strikingly similar to features observed on Mars. For this reason, scientists 6 Astronomical Events have been exploring this terrain for decades to understand the limits of life on Earth and Determine Easter Observance the potential for life elsewhere in the solar system. While it is the most stable landscape in the world, hosting buried ice millions of years old, the Dry Valleys do experience small 7 Rings of the Solar System amounts of surface erosion due to liquid water over long periods of time. Our group has been documenting these processes for many years using high-resolution time-lapse pho- 8 Lenticular Galaxy in Sextans tography and incorporating these data into long-term climate data to understand how NGC 3115 water behaves in polar landscapes generally inhospitable to liquid water. This presentation will show dozens of these time-lapse movies to show how barren landscapes evolve over 10 Secretary & Treasurer time, and discuss what this means for the potential of liquid water on present-day Mars. Jay Dickson is a planetary scientist who has studied the evolution and fate of water ice on Mars and in Antarctica for more than a decade. Jay received his B.A. from Hampshire College in 2002 and his M.S. in Geographic Information Science from the University of Southern California in 2014. Jay is a member of the research staff in the Planetary Geol- Renew Your ogy department at Brown University. Membership Today Memberships are due in April. If you haven't renewed yet, please Astronomy Day - Saturday, April 25 renew online at Conrad Cardano will be organizing this year's Astronomy Day. www.theskyscrapers.org/join-renew Topics will include astrophotography for the very beginner and solar observing (weather-permitting). If you are interested in participating, or sharing your knowledge, contact Conrad at [email protected]. Phases of the Moon Full Pink Moon April 4 12:06 Seagrave Memorial Last Quarter Moon Observatory April 12 03:44 Open Nights New Moon April 18 18:57 Saturdays at 8:00 pm First Quarter Moon weather permitting April 25 23:55 The Skyscraper April 2015 President’s Message Bob Horton The Annual meeting of Skyscrapers will laborations with area colleges and univer- clude this line item in our budget for the be held at Seagrave Memorial Observatory sities. Brown University would like to set membership to support. on Friday, April 10th, starting at 7pm. We up a remotely controlled telescope on our will be electing new officers for our society, property in the 24” to 27” range that would voting on an operating budget for the com- be used by astronomy students at Brown, ing fiscal year, a copy of which is included and by our own members and visitors. We in this newsletter for you to review, and col- can talk more about this opportunity at the lecting membership dues. Annual Meeting. Before discussing some of the details Also recently, Skyscrapers was ap- of our proposed operating budget, I would proached concerning the idea of hosting a like to share with you some ideas that have NASA all-sky camera that would be used to been recently discussed at our Board of Di- monitor fireball meteors. All of the equip- rectors Meetings. I believe these ideas offer ment would be free, but one requirement is exciting opportunities for Skyscrapers. that we have internet access – something As I mentioned last month, we have be- we do not currently have. gun planning to offer ongoing workshops So for the proposed budget that you will for beginners that will provide even greater find in this newsletter, I have included a line benefits to our membership. These work- item for internet service. We have actually shops will be offered on Saturdays begin- had this in the budget for a couple of years ning in May. now, listed as "other utilities". However, the Over the last couple of years, we have amount allocated in the past was insuffi- proven out the concept of operating a tele- cient, and it was never spent. With internet scope remotely, by outfitting the roll-off ob- service we could be remotely controlling servatory that houses our 16” telescope with the telescopes at Seagrave; have distant an automated system to open and close the speakers provide us with talks; stream data roof of the building, and to control the tele- to our web site, such as from a NASA all scope and camera. We have operated this sky camera. We could also install security system from our meeting hall, and now all cameras to monitor our property , similar that remains to operate the telescope off- to what is done at Stellafane. site is internet service. Internet service is costly, but it also Let’s now consider moving forward opens a lot of opportunities for us as well. with a new project that may involve col- I think it is important enough that we in- The Skyscraper is published President Public Outreach Coordinator monthly by Skyscrapers, Inc. Bob Horton [email protected] Matt White [email protected] Meetings are held monthly, usually on the first or second 1st Vice President Public Relations Spokesperson Friday or Saturday of the month. Kathy Siok [email protected] Francine Jackson [email protected] Seagrave Memorial Observatory is open every Saturday 2nd Vice President Observatory Committee Chairperson night, weather permitting. Steve Siok [email protected] Conrad Cardano [email protected] Directions Secretary Membership Activities Coordinator Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory are located on the back page of this newsletter. Tina Huestis [email protected] Pat Landers [email protected] Submissions Treasurer Librarian Submissions to The Skyscraper are always Linda Bergemann [email protected] Alex Bergemann [email protected] ­­ welcome. Please submit items for the newsletter no later than April 17 to Jim Hendrickson, 1 Members at Large Historian 3ODQH:DYH Sunflower Circle, North Providence, RI 02911 Pat Landers [email protected] Dave Huestis [email protected] or e-mail to [email protected]. Matt White [email protected] Archivist E-mail subscriptions To receive The Skyscraper by e-mail, send Trustees Jim Crawford [email protected] e-mail with your name and address to jim@ Conrad Cardano [email protected] Editor distantgalaxy.com. Note that you will no Jim Crawford [email protected] longer receive the newsletter by postal mail. Jim Hendrickson [email protected] Tom Thibault [email protected] 2 The Skyscraper April 2015 Friday, April 3 Enjoy Cosmic Colors at the University of Rhode Island Planetarium University of Rhode Island Planetarium electromagnetic spectrum, will take you Upper College Road back to the days of Sir Isaac Newton, to the Kingston, RI surface of Mars, and every place in between, to show you the origins and importance of Friday, April 3rd, 2015 such everyday phenomena as X rays, micro- 6:00 P.M. waves and infrared waves, and their relation to the colors we love so much. Contact: Francine Jackson: 401-527-5558 Cosmic Colors, a planetarium program be followed by a live segment showing the for audiences of all ages, will be shown at Skies above the URI campus. As the new season of spring begins, the URI Planetarium, Upper College Road, Come and see the beauty of color! thoughts turn to the beautiful colors of on the URI campus, at 6:00 P.M. Admis- The University of Rhode Island Plan- the returning flowers. But, how are we able sion, to benefit the URI Planetarium Fund, etarium is available for programs of many to view these varied colors? What causes is $5.00. Cosmic Colors will be preceded by varied topics of astronomical interest for all them? Cosmic Colors, an introduction to a 6-minute award-winning presentation on age groups. For more information, please the way we see and feel, by means of the light pollution, Losing the Dark, and will call 401-527-5558. The Sun, Moon & Planets in April Nights are getting shorter and at this Mars, as the tree objects make a striking to the angle of the ring plane, which is time of year we see our winter constella- triangle only 6° wide. A day later, on the close to it’s maximum. The Cassini division tions descent rapidly into the evening twi- 20th, the Moon advances eastward and will between the rings should be clearly vis- light which extends beyond 9pm by the now appear about midway between (and ible in a small telescope on nights of good middle of the month. During April, the somewhat to the left of ) Mars and Ve- seeing, and cloud bands may even be seen deep night has us facing directly away from nus. Earthshine viewing and photograph- on the planet itself. With the extension of the plane of the Milky Way. If we could ing opportunities on this night should be the rings, this is also a good opportunity view the sky from an unobstructed moun- superb. Don’t limit your gaze to the solar for observing Saturn’s smaller satellites, taintop far from and polluting lights, we system, however, as a darkening sky will re- as they can now be observed throughout would see the Milky Way nearly encircling veal both the Hyades and Pleiades clusters their orbits without being hidden behind the horizon around midnight.
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