DOCSLIB.ORG

Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Volume LIII,Volume Number LIII, 3Number 2 March,February, 2007 2007 Left: Hubble Space Telescope image of Sirius A, the brightest star in the night sky, and Sirius B (lower left), its white dwarf Sirius: companion. Sirius is also called Alpha Brightest Canis Major or the “Dog Star.” Above: Chandra X-Ray image of Sirius, which is 8.6 light years from Earth. Sirius B, its white dwarf companion, is the smaller Diamond bright object to the upper right which has 98% the mass of our Sun packed in a Astro Imagingdiameter that is 90% of the Earth’s! in the Sky Sirius A, the larger star, is twice the mass of our Sun and is 20 times as massive, while .. the white dwarf is 10,000 times dimmer than ue its host star. iss this de nsi • “Sirius: The Biography of a Star,” with Jay Holberg I �� School star parties �� Grand Canyon Star Party on March 2 at the Monthly Meeting (p. 3) �� Flandrau Saturn Opposition �� Equipment for Loan •�� MarchConstellation Madness: of the2007 month All-Arizona Messier Marathon! (p. 12) • Night Sky Network — Astronomy Essentials talk with Terri Lappin (p. 3) and activity kits information (p. 11) • Grand Canyon Star Party Update! (p. 4) • TAAA and Public Star Parties and Events for March (pp. 8-9) • Upcoming Levy “Sharing the Sky” Star Party on April 21 (p. 7) Desert Skies: March, 2007 -2- Volume LIII, Number 3 On the cover: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, has intrigued humanity for thousands of years. The Hubble and Chandra space-based observatories are helping to unravel its secrets, including information about its white dwarf companion. Come and hear Dr. Jay Holberg at the March meeting, a Sirius expert and author of a new book on the star, its history, and scientific studies. TAAA Web Page: http://www.tucsonastronomy.org TAAA Phone Number: (520) 792-6414 TAAA Officers and Board Members Office/Position Name Phone E-Mail Address President Bill Lofquist 297-6653 [email protected] Vice President Ken Shaver 762-5094 [email protected] Secretary Steve Marten 307-5237 [email protected] Treasurer Terri Lappin 977-1290 [email protected] Member-at-Large George Barber 822-2392 [email protected] Member-at-Large JD Metzger 760-8348 [email protected] Member-at-Large Teresa Plymate 883-9113 [email protected] Chief Observer Wayne Johnson 586-2244 [email protected] AL Correspondent (ALCor) Nick de Mesa 797-6614 [email protected] Astro-Imaging SIG Steve Peterson 762-8211 [email protected] Computers In Astronomy SIG Roger Tanner 574-3876` [email protected] Beginners’ SIG Bill Lofquist 297-6653 [email protected] Newsletter Editor George Barber 822-2392 [email protected] School Star Party Scheduling Coordinator Paul Moss 722-2704 [email protected] School Star Party Volunteer Coordinator Claude Plymate 883-9113 [email protected] Webmaster Loretta McKibben 245-3942 [email protected] Club Sales Ann Scott 749-4867 [email protected] Equipment Loan Coordinator Richard Dougall 245-5441 [email protected] Librarians Claude Plymate 883-9113 [email protected] Teresa Plymate Grand Canyon Star Party Coordinator Dean Ketelson 293-2855 [email protected] General Information Terri Lappin 977-1290 [email protected] TAAA Board of Directors All Board Members - [email protected] TIMPA Gate Card Controller Ray Toscano 529-3074 [email protected] Membership in the TAAA Membership Renewal Information: Annual Fees: • Your membership expires as indicated on your mailing label. Individual membership ....................................................... $25.00 • TAAA members may join the Tucson society of the Astronomical Family (includes two adults plus minor children) ................ $30.00 League (TAL) at the time they join or renew. Youths under 18 years must join as a family upon parental or • Discounted Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine sub- guardian acknowledgement of participation in TAAA events. scriptions are available to members and can be started or Ask the Treasurer for the required form. renewed at anytime. Rates are given above. Allow 3 months for processing. Subscriptions must be sent through the TAAA. Discounts (one discount allowed, subtract from above rates): Do not send money directly to the magazines. To change an Seniors (over 60 years) ........................................................ $2.00 individual subscription to the group rate, pay the subscription College Students, Teachers (K – 12) .................................... $8.00 amount to the TAAA treasurer. Please include your magazine Youths < 18 yrs (form required, contact the treasurer) ....... $13.00 renewal notice. • Please include a note explaining what you are paying for. Options (add to above membership rates): Credit cards are not accepted. Write one check or money order Tucson society of the Astronomical League (TAL) fees ....... $5.00 for fees plus any options or donations. Make check or money Sky & Telescope Magazine 1 year (12 issues) ....................$32.95 order payable to “TAAA” and mail it to: Astronomy Magazine 1 year (12 issues) ............................ $34.00 2 years (24 issues) ............................................................. $60.00 Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Postage for New Member Pack ............................................ $4.05 PO Box 41254 Tucson, AZ 85717 Donations are accepted for the following funds: SA-IDA/Light Pollution, TIMPA, Education, 30” Telescope & Land, Mailing Address or Email Changes: and General/Undesignated Funds. Send to the address above or send email to the TAAA Treasurer. Desert Skies: March, 2007 -3- Volume LIII, Number 3 Desert Skies is published monthly by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Post Office Box 41254, Tucson AZ 85717. TAAA Mission Statement: The mission of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association is to provide opportunities for members and the public to share the joy and excitement of astronomy through observing, education and fun. Desert Skies Publishing Guidelines: All articles, announcements, news, etc. must be submitted by the newsletter deadline. Materials received after that date will appear in the next issue. The editor retains all submissions unless prior arrangements are made. Submissions should be submitted in Microsoft Word compatible files via e-mail or on a recordable media. All material is copyrighted by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association or specific authors. No reproduction without permission, all rights reserved. We will not publish slanderous or libelous material! Send submissions to: George Barber; TAAA/Desert Skies Editor, 15940 W Ridgemoor Ave.; Tucson, AZ 85736 Meeting Information and Calendar of Events TAAA Monthly Meeting: Board of Directors Meeting: Friday, March 2, 2007 Wednesday, March 14, 6:30 pm. The meeting is held at at the the Steward Observatory in Conference Room N305. Steward Observatory’s Auditorium, Room N210. TAAA Star Parties and Events: Astronomy Essentials Lecture - 6:30 p.m.: Speaker: Terri Lappin, TAAA March 5 .............. AstroImaging SIG at China Rose Title: “Shadows and Silhouettes” March 8 .............. Dunham Elementary Star Party The Shadows and Silhouettes Toolkit from the Night Sky March 10 ............ TAAA and BSIG Star Party at Network will be presented. These kits, along with the other TIMPA kits in the series, are available to the membership for check- out and use at outreach star parties. The Shadows and March 13 ............ Luz Academy of Tucson — Family Silhouettes Toolkit highlights lunar phases, eclipses, and. Science Night transits Other kits in the series will be briefly mentioned. March 15 ............ Hohokam Middle School Party General Meeting - 7:30 p.m.: March 17 ............ TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas (Empire Ranch) Speaker: Jay Holberg, Lunar and Planetary Lab Title: “Sirius: The Biography of a Star” March 17-18 ........All Arizona Messier Marathon Sirius has helped shape our concepts of the stars. As March 21-25 ........Southern AZ Regional Science and the brightest fixed star in the night sky, Sirius is familiar to Engineering Fair almost everyone. Yet few know how important Sirius has been in shaping our scientific understanding of the nature March 22-24 ........Raytheon Science Fest (9am-1pm) of the stars and for providing astronomical confirmation of March 23 .............Our Mother of Sorrows Star Party, important theories of modern physics. The talk will examine “Night Sky With The Planets” a number of fascinating aspects of this star; including the im- portant contributions that 19th century amateur astronomers March 24 .............Sahuaro Girl Scout Council Star Party, made to understanding Sirius. It will also explore some little “Night Invaders at the Hacienda” known aspects of Sirius, from the ancient Egyptians to the March 30 ............ Patagonia Elementary Star Party, Hubble Space Telescope. “A Walk Around the Night Sky” Jay Holberg is a Senior Research Scientist at the Lunar and April 3 ................. Sabino High School Star Party, Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona. He obtained his “Starry Night” PhD in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1974. He has worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Newsletter Schedule: Pasadena CA and joined the University of Arizona in 1983. Deadline for articles: ....Saturday,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sirius Astronomer Newsletter
    March 2004 Free to members, subscriptions $12 for 12 issues Volume 31, Number 3 Images completed in 2002 (left) and 2003 (right) depict the analemma. The analemma illustrates the motion of the sun across the sky when observed from precisely the same place and precisely the same time of the day over the course of a year. The ruins in the 2002 photo are those of Tholos, ancient Delphi, Greece; the ruins in the 2003 photo are those of the Temple of Zeus, ancient Nemea, Greece. For more information, see http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Solar-Analemma.htm (courtesy Anthony Ayiomamitis). OCA CLUB MEETING STAR PARTIES COMING UP The free and open club The Black Star Canyon site will be open this The next session of the meeting will be held Friday, month on March 13th. The Anza site will be Beginners Class will be held on March 12th at 7:30 PM in open March 20th. Members are encouraged Friday March 5th (and next the Irvine Lecture Hall of the to check the website calendar, for the latest month on April 2nd) at the Hashinger Science Center updates on star parties and other events. Centennial Heritage Museum at Chapman University in (formerly the Discovery Museum Orange. The featured Please check the website calendar for the of Orange County) at 3101 speaker this month is Luisa outreach events this month! Volunteers West Harvard Street in Santa Rebull, who will tell us are always welcome! Ana. “What’s New With SIRTF”. You are also reminded to check the web GOTO SIG: TBA (contact NOTE: The April Meeting site frequently for updates to the calendar coordinator for details) has been rescheduled to of events and other club news.
    [Show full text]
  • Measure the Sky
    Measure the Sky Program Type: Demonstration or Audience Type: Grade 4–8 Classroom Program Description: Students assemble a quadrant, a tool for measuring the positions of objects in the sky. Topics: Sky, observation, astronomy. Process Skills Focus: Critical thinking, observing, measuring, predicting. LEARNING OBJECTIVES For Next Generation Science Standards alignment, see end of outline. • A quadrant is a tool scientists use to measure how high an object is above the horizon. • Islamic astronomers during the 11th–13th centuries developed and used quadrants to track the movements of celestial objects, work that led to many scientific discoveries. TIME REQUIRED Advance Prep Set Up Activity Clean Up 15 minutes 5 minutes 25 minutes 10 minutes SITE REQUIREMENTS • Standard size classroom • Desks or tables with chairs • The presence of at least one adult Measure the Sky 1 Lenses on the Sky OMSI 2017 PROGRAM FORMAT Segment Format Time Introduction Large group discussion 5 min Make a Quadrant Instructor-led activity 10 min Quadrant Practice Partner activity 5 min Wrap-Up Large group discussion 5 min SUPPLIES Permanent Supplies Amount Pencils 1/student Scissors 1/student Tape One roll/4 students Major Consumables Amount Notes Quadrant template 1/student At the end of this document String, 12” 1/student Drinking straw 1/student Metal washer, roughly 1” in diameter 1/student ADVANCE PREPARATION • Print the quadrant template on heavy cardstock and cut the page in half to produce one quadrant per student. • Assemble one quadrant to show the students as an example. • Depending on the age group, students might have trouble poking a pencil through the quadrant paper.
    [Show full text]
  • 2002 Convention Bulletin
    STELLAFANE The 67th Convention of Amateur Telescope Makers on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont. Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th, 2002 "For it is true that astronomy, from a popular standpoint, is handicapped by the inability of the average workman to own an expensive astronomical telescope. It is also true that if an amateur starts out to build a telescope just for fun he will find, before his labors are over, that he has become seriously interested in the wonderful mechanism of our universe. And finally there is understandably the stimulus of being able to unlock the mysteries of the heavens by a tool fashioned by one's own hand." Russell W. Porter, March 1923 -- Founder of Stellafane The Stellafane Convention is a gathering of amateur telescope makers. The Convention was started in 1926 to give amateur telescope makers an opportunity to gather, to show off their creations and teach each other telescope making and mirror grinding techniques. If you have made your own telescope, we strongly encourage you to display it in the telescope fields near the Pink Clubhouse. If you wish, you can enter it in the mechanical and/or optical competition. There are also mirror grinding and telescope making demonstrations, technical lectures on telescope making and the presentation of awards for telescope design and craftsmanship. Vendor displays and the retail sale of commercial products are not permitted. For additional information please check out the home page www.stellafane.com. Enjoy the convention! PLEASE NOTE AN IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE DURING CONVENTION: The optical judging has been re- scheduled for Friday night! There will be no optical judging Saturday night unless clouds interfere with the optical competition on Friday.
    [Show full text]
  • The Observer
    The Observer The Official Publication of the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society https://lvaas.org/ https://www.facebook.com/lvaas.astro June 2021 Volume 61 Issue 6 1 ad ast ra * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After review by the Board of Governors it was decided that additional changes will be made to the By-Laws. This includes changing the Fiscal Year from October - September to the calendar year, so the new Fiscal Year will run from January to December in 2022. This will result in new dates for LVAAS membership dues. As always dues should be received by January 1st. Membership dues will continue to be collected until March 1st; from March 1st until June 1st members will be considered in arrears. If dues are not paid by June 1st you will no longer be considered a member. I'm sad to report Carol Kiely has decided to step down as Star Party Coordinator due to family commitments. Carol has been a mainstay in running Star Parties for the last few years. I am sure Carol will continue to help as she is able. If anyone is interested in this position, please contact me at [email protected] The state of Pennsylvania has decided to lift many pandemic restrictions as of May 31st. In line with this change LVAAS has decided to open up some activities to its members. The BOG has approved the following activities for LVAAS Members Only at the South Mountain site: - Astro Imaging Meeting June 19th - Star Party June 26th - LVAAS Picnic July 10th - Star Party July 17th - Star Party August 14th Note: These events will be held for LVAAS Members Only with the following restrictions: - Masks and Social Distancing are required as per Pennsylvania state requirements in force at the time of the event.
    [Show full text]
  • Mingo Creek Park Observatory 2018 Star Party Schedule
    About Mingo Creek Park Observatory: Become an AAAP member and help support the Star Party promotion of astronomy education in The observatory is located in Mingo Creek County southwestern Pennsylvania. Membership dues Park, Nottingham Township in the northeast Hosted by the help to support the costs of operating and section of Washington County about 10 miles east maintaining both observatories. of Washington, PA. The park is located off Route Amateur Astronomers 88 or Route 136 with easy access off Interstate 43. Inside the park the observatory is at the end of Association of Pittsburgh The AAAP has an observatory located in Deer Mansion Hill Extension Road across from the Lakes Regional Park near Russellton, PA in Henry Covered Bridge on the top of the hill past the northeast corner of Allegheny County. Shelter 10. The observatory houses two permanently mounted Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory telescopes and a planetarium. The refractor Latitude: 40.627 Degrees, telescope has a Lunt solar scope for solar Longitude: 79.813 degrees W observing, opening up daytime activity. The Phone: 724-224-2510 Richard Y. Haddad Planetarium, with a 20 ft. digital planetarium dome displays the night sky indoors and is utilized for special presentations and 2018 Star Party Schedule for astronomy lectures. Wagman Observatory At the Apr 20 & 21 Latitude: 40.211 degrees Mingo Creek Park Observatory May 18 & 19 Longitude: 80.020 degrees W Phone: 724-348-6150 June 22 & 23 July 20 & 21 Aug 17 & 18 For more information on AAAP activities and memberships: Sept 15 & Sept 29 Mail: AAAP, P.O. Box 314, Glenshaw, PA Oct 13 & 27 15116 Nov 10 Email: [email protected] Check the website www.3ap.org for driving Check the website at www.3ap.org 2018 Star Party Schedule directions to the Wagman Observatory April 21 Follow us on Facebook General Tips for Driving to Star Parties May 18 & 19 Drive during daylight when possible to NOTE: There is no running water at the June 8 & 9 help spot landmarks observatory.
    [Show full text]
  • Oregon Star Party News
    OREGON STAR PARTY NEWS Oregon Star Party Newsletter— Volume 3, Issue 2 Late July 2017 How to Maximize Your Time Under Totality By Judy Dethloff For many of you, this total solar eclipse may be a “Once in a Lifetime Opportunity”. While the entire eclipse from first contact to fourth contact is 2 hours 35 minutes, the total phase lasts 1 minute 28 seconds at Indian Trail Spring. Wow, 88 seconds is short! The morning of the eclipse, you are not going to have a second chance for a “Do Over”. How can you maximize your chances for successfully viewing and photographing totality? To fully maximize those precious 88 seconds, you need to have a game plan. Your game plan is going to tell you what time you need to have all of your equipment setup, which pieces of equipment you are using and how you will set it up. Your game plan will tell you Eclipse Times what specific eclipse features you are looking for and the time to look for them. You will First Contact 9:07:17.9 am have decided when to take off and replace your solar filters. Your game plan can be very simple or very complex depending upon how you intend to observe the solar eclipse. You Second Contact 10:21:05.1 am do have a game plan, don’t you? Max Eclipse 10:21:46.9 am Now that you have a game plan, you need to practice it at home to see if it works. Re- member, “Practice makes perfect.” Find something around you that normally takes 90 Third Contact 10:22:28.8 am seconds or so and during that 90 seconds of time visualize what you would do during the total phase.
    [Show full text]
  • RTMC Sponsor
    San Diego Astronomy Association Celebrating Over 50 Years of Astronomical Outreach September 2019 http://www.sdaa.org A Non-Profit Educational Association P.O. Box 23215, San Diego, CA 92193-3215 September Program Meeting Date: September 18, 2019 Speaker: Dave Wood Next SDAA Business Meeting Topic: TARO - History and evolution, how it works and what we are currently September 10th at 7:00pm doing with it 7270 Trade Street San Diego, CA 92121 Dave been with the club since 1991. He has been on the Board since 2011, and held positions as director, treasurer and club president. Next Program Meeting September 18th at 7:00pm Dave has worked on TARO since it’s inception in 2014. Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail San Diego Astronomy Association (SDAA) sponsors speakers on a wide range of astronomy topics on the third Wednesday of every month at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center. The program meeting begins at 7:00pm. Each attendee receives CONTENTS one free door prize ticket. After announcements and a small amount of business, the September 2019, Vol LVII, Issue 9 audience is treated to the featured presentation. At the close of the meeting the door Published Monthly by the prizes are presented. The event is open to the public. The Mission Trails Regional Park San Diego Astronomy Association Visitors Center is at One Fr. Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego CA 92119. Call the park at Incorporated in California in 1963 619-668-3281 for more information or visit http://www.mtrp.org Program Meeting...........1 August Minutes.........2 DoubleSTARS Seminar...........5 Julian Starfest...........6 SDAA Outreach to China.....11 RTMC............................16 SDAA Contacts...............21 NASA Night Sky Notes......22 Astronomy Cartoon............24 The Annual BBQ at TDS will be on the 28th of September.
    [Show full text]
  • The Blue Planet Report from Stellafane Perspective on Apollo How to Gain and Retain New Members
    Published by the Astronomical League Vol. 71, No. 4 September 2019 THE BLUE PLANET REPORT FROM STELLAFANE 7.20.69 5 PERSPECTIVE ON APOLLO YEARS APOLLO 11 HOW TO GAIN AND RETAIN NEW MEMBERS What’s Your Pleasure? From Famous Observatories to Solar Eclipse Take Your Pick From These Tours Travel Down Under to visit top Australian Observatories observatories, including Siding October 1–9, 2019 Spring and “The Dish” at Parkes. Go wine-tasting, hike in nature reserves, and explore eclectic Syd- ney and Australia’s capital, Can- berra. Plus: Stargaze under south- ern skies. Options to Great Barrier Reef and Uluru or Ayers Rock. skyandtelescope.com/australia2019 Uluru & Sydney Opera House: Tourism Australia; observatory: Winton Gibson Astronomy Across Italy May 3–11, 2020 As you travel in comfort from Rome to Florence, Pisa, and Padua, visit the Vatican Observatory, the Galileo Museum, Arcetri Observatory, and more. Enjoy fine food, hotels, and other classic Italian treats. Extensions in Rome and Venice available. skyandtelescope.com/italy2020 S&T’s 2020 solar eclipse cruise offers 2 2020 Eclipse Cruise: Chile, Argentina, minutes, 7 seconds of totality off the and Antarctica coast of Argentina and much more: Nov. 27–Dec. 19, 2020 Chilean fjords and glaciers, the legendary Drake Passage, and four days amid Antarctica’s waters and icebergs. skyandtelescope.com/chile2020 Patagonian Total Solar Eclipse December 9–18, 2020 Come along with Sky & Telescope to view this celestial spectacle in the lakes region of southern Argentina. Experience breathtaking vistas of the lush landscape by day — and the southern sky’s incompa- rable stars by night.
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy 142 — Project Manual Spring 2021
    Astronomy 142 | Project Manual Spring 2021 1 RR Lyrae stars and the distance to globular cluster M3 1.1 Introduction In the following, we repeat a classic experiment: detect the periodically-varying stars in a globular cluster and thereby measure its distance, by considering the stars to be standard candles. Specifi- cally, we will measure the time-average luminosity of the nearby star RR Lyrae and the time-average flux of stars in M3 that vary with the same period as RR Lyr, combining these measurements to determine M3's distance. This observing project will involve frequent remote observation sessions with the tele- scope over the course of 1{2 weeks, hopefully including a few nights in a row. Everyone who opts for this project will share their data and receive everyone else's in return. Each student will perform his or her own analysis and write an independent report on the results. Stars in the instability strip of the HR diagram have been fundamental in the determination of the distance scale of the Universe. These stars radially pulsate, often in their fundamental acoustic mode. As we have seen in class, their pulsation periods Π vary inversely with the mass density ρ of the star: Z R dr r 6π Π = 4 =∼ (uniform density star) (1) 0 vs γGρ Lower average density leads not only to longer periods, but also to larger luminosities L, in part because lower-density stars are much larger than higher-density stars of the same mass. Thus, a given type of pulsating star exhibits a strict relation, often linear, between Π and L.
    [Show full text]
  • National Park Service Saint-Gaudens 139 Saint-Gaudens Road U.S
    National Park Service Saint-Gaudens 139 Saint-Gaudens Road U.S. Department of the Interior National Historical Park Cornish, New Hampshire 03745 603-675-2175 phone 603-675-2701 fax Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kerstin Burlingame, 603/675-2175 Announcement of Tenth Annual Star Party at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Parl Cornish, NH: On Saturday September 7, 2019, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park will host our ninth annual Star Party in partnership with the Springfield Telescope Makers of the Stellafane Observatory in Springfield, Vermont. The event will be held at Saint-Gaudens NHP in Cornish, New Hampshire, and is free and open to the public. A rain/cloud date of September 8 has been set in case of inclement weather. At 8:00 pm, a presentation about astronomy will be offered outdoors (weather permitting) in the Shaw Memorial hedge room (bring a blanket or towel for sitting on the grass). At 8:30pm, members of the Springfield Telescope Makers will have a variety of telescopes, many of them handmade, set up on the grounds at the park and will be aiming them at a variety of deep-sky objects such as galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and planets for visitors to explore and enjoy. “We are incredibly happy to be offering this Star Party in partnership with the Springfield Telescope Makers for the tenth straight year. Though the northeast United States is one of the most light-polluted areas of the country, residents of the Upper Valley are very fortunate to have wonderful dark skies with hundreds of visible stars to enjoy” said park superintendent Rick Kendall.
    [Show full text]
  • Guidestar March, 2015
    Houston Astronomical Society Page 1 March, 2015 March, 2015 Volume 34, #3 At the March 6 Meeting Highlights: Adrift: Does America Have a The Milky Way Galaxy 3 President’s Message 4 Future in Space? Steve Gotlieb - Visual Observer 8 Eric Berger — Science Writer of the Houston Chronicle A&M Commits to World's Largest Telescope 13 Ancient Solar System with Five Planets 14 Over the course of 2014 Heavyweight Champion of the Universe 16 science writer Eric Berger Embryos of Stars 17 looked at NASA’s building of a Blue Stragglers in NGC188 big new rocket, the collapse of 18 the Constellation program, Congressional infighting for HAS Web Page: funds, shifting priorities of successive White http://www.AstronomyHouston.org House administrations, the promise of private space companies and, ultimately, the fate of See the GuideStar's Monthly Calendar of Houston as Space City. This presentation is Events to confirm dates and times of all events about what he found. for the month, and check the Web Page for any last minute changes. Bio: Eric Berger is the science writer for the Houston Chronicle. For his coverage of Hurricane Ike the Chronicle was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009. He would like to see humans on All meetings are at the University of Houston Science and Research building. See the last Mars in his lifetime. page for directions to the location. Novice meeting: ······················ 7:00 p.m. Bill Spizzirri — “The Milky Way Galaxy” General meeting: ···················· 8:00 p.m The GuideStar is the winner of the 2012 Eric Berger ”Adrift: Does America Have a Future Astronomical League Mabel Sterns in Space” Newsletter award.
    [Show full text]
  • Amateur Astronomy in the Winter Sky
    Amateur Astronomy in the Winter Sky Dale Hachtel Popular Astronomy Club Jan 4, 2020 The Andromeda Galaxy – Anthony Watt Orion Nebula – Anthony Watt January can be a difficult month for amateur astronomers, with cloudy and snowy skies and cold nights. Most of the planets we enjoyed viewing in the evening during much of 2019 are viewable only briefly in the early morning now, but there are still many interesting objects in the winter sky. Winter is therefore a good time to learn about what’s up in the sky besides the familiar constellations, planets, and well-known stars. The Astronomical League (AL) is a non-profit organization that promotes the science of astronomy. The organization does this by fostering astronomical education and providing incentives for astronomical observation and research. It is composed of 240 local amateur astronomical societies. The North Central Region of the Astronomical League (NCRAL) includes the Quad-Cities area, Illinois, and states north and northwest of the Quad-Cities and contains 36 of the amateur organizations. At the NCRAL convention in May 2019, hosted by the Popular Astronomy Club (PAC) in Moline, an interesting and educational amateur program was introduced for the NCRAL area. This NCRAL Seasonal Messier Observing Program provides a framework for amateur astronomers to learn about and observe some of the more interesting objects in the sky. First, a little background about Messier. Charles Messier was a French astronomer who studied comets. Between 1774 and 1781, he compiled a catalog of objects in the sky that could be mistaken for comets. His catalog, with a few 20th century additions, still provides a list of 110 interesting objects for amateur astronomers to find and observe.
    [Show full text]