Prime Focusfocus Moon Is 3.5° Above Antares and 14° Below a Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Venus

Highlights of the January Sky. . .

- - - 1st - - - Dawn: Waning Crescent PrimePrime FocusFocus Moon is 3.5° above Antares and 14° below A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Venus.

Dawn: Mercury will be 10° above the SE horizon 30 January 2011 minutes before sunrise. Continues until the 11th.

- - - 2nd - - - Dawn: Thin crescent Moon is 4.5°to lower right of Mercury low in SE. ThisThis MonthsMonths KAS EventsEvents

PM: Uranus is within ½° of Jupiter between now and the 5th. Use binoculars or General Meeting: Friday, January 7 @ 7:00 pm a telescope. Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center - See Page 10 for Details - - - 3rd - - - Earth is at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun. Board Meeting: Sunday, January 9 @ 5:00 pm

- - - 4th - - - Sunnyside Church - 2800 Gull Road - All Members Welcome AM: Quadrantid meteor shower peaks. Full Moon Theater: Saturday, January 22 @ 7:00 pm New Moon WMU Main Campus, Rood Hall, Room 1110 - See Page 3 for Details - - - 9th - - - PM: Waxing Crescent Moon is about 8° to the right of Jupiter.

- - - 10th - - - PM: The Moon is about 8.5° above Jupiter. Inside the Newsletter. . . Inside the Newsletter. . . - - - 12th - - - First Quarter Moon December Meeting Minutes...... p. 2

- - - 19th - - - Full Moon Theater Preview...... p. 3 Full Moon 2010: The “In-Between” Year...... p. 4 - - - 25th - - - AM: The Moon, Saturn, NASA Space Place...... p. 6 and Spica form a triangle. January Night Sky...... p. 7 - - - 26th - - - Last Quarter Moon Membership Renewal Form...... p. 8 - - - 29th - - - Dawn: The Moon is ~9° to KAS Officers & Announcements...... p. 9 the right of Venus. General Meeting Preview...... p. 10 - - - 30th - - - Dawn: The Moon is ~6° below Venus. www.kasonline.org DecemberDecember MeetingMeeting MinutesMinutes

The KAS Annual Meeting, featuring our 12th Holiday Party, began at 6:30 pm EST on Friday, December 3, 2010. Approximately 40 members and guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center (KAMSC).

Dinner was served at ~6:45 pm. Our potluck hors d'oeuvre and dessert extravaganza was as good as always. These include the traditional tasty meatballs and more desserts than one could possibly enjoy in a single evening. Our “hostess- with-the-mostess,” Jean DeMott, supplied the soft drinks and hot wassail again this year and did another terrific job with all the decorations. Thank you, Jean!

Once dinner was complete and everyone had a chance to relax and chit chat we played four highly competitive rounds of BINGO. Here are the lucky winners: Molly Williams was one of our lucky BINGO winners!  Fritz Seegers - The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide - Donated by Richard Bell No observing reports were forthcoming thanks to typical Michigan cloud cover. Jack did mention that he’s spotted  Molly Williams - Solar System Lithograph Set brilliant Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise. There was - Donated by NASA Space Place also some discussion of the reappearance of Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt and the Total Lunar Eclipse on the Winter  Mike Patton - Story: The Way of the Water Solstice. (Naturally, we didn’t get to observe the latter of the - Donated by the KAS two thanks again to Michigan’s crappy weather.)  Bob White - NightWatch by Terence Dickinson Jack then mentioned that the deadline for newsletter articles - Donated by the KAS SkyShop th is the 15 of every month. Richard Bell is always desperate Final nominations and elections for 2011 KAS Officers and to receive contributions to Prime Focus. Several members At-Large Board Members were then held once everyone are planning to attend the 2011 Winter Star Party in the reconvened in the presentation center. Thanks to Daniel Florida Keys. If you decide to go at the last minute be sure Flanagan and Mark Miller for counting the ballots. The to check Astromart for tickets. Several always pop up as election results appear on page 9. Members and guests in people’s plans change. attendance during the break and annual meeting enjoyed a year-in-review slide show assembled by Richard Bell. Jack We then held the door prize drawings. Unless noted Price then gave a brief president’s report. He mentioned otherwise, all prizes were donated by the KAS. Here are the some upcoming presentations at the Kalamazoo Valley and lucky winners (in order): Kingman museums. Roger Williams (KAS SkyCap); Ruth Price (KAS SkyCap); Jean DeMott (Story: The Way of the Water); Mike Sinclair (NightWatch by Terence Dickinson - Don’t say you NEVER win anything, Mike!); Molly Williams (KAS SkyCap); Rich Mather (KAS SkyCap); Scotty Macfarlane (Galileoscope); Mike Patton (Bad Astronomy by Phil Plait); Philip Wareham (Death from the Skies by Phil Plait); Frank Severance (Planisphere, donated by Richard Bell); Mike Dupuis (KAS SkyCap); Daniel Dupuis (Contact, donated by Richard Bell); Karen Sinclair (Solar System Lithograph Set, donated by NASA Space Place), Jason Hanflik (Moon Phase Calendar, donated by Molly Williams); Erin Dupuis (Death from the Skies by Phil Plait).

The meeting concluded at 8:54 pm. Thanks to the volunteers that helped with clean-up and putting everything away.

Prime Focus Page 2 January 2011 KalamazooKalamazoo AstronomicalAstronomical SocietySociety presentspresents FullFull MoonMoon TheaterTheater Saturday,Saturday, JanuaryJanuary 2222 @@ 7:007:00 pmpm WMU Main Campus - Rood Hall - Room 1110

ince its discovery in 1930, Pluto has held a warm place in the public imagination. So, when the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium stopped calling Pluto a planet, director Neil deGrasse Tyson SS found himself at the center of a ﬁrestorm led by angry, Pluto‐loving elementary school students. But what is it about this cold, distant rock that captures so many hearts? NOVA joins Tyson as he follows the amazing story of its discovery and the captivating science that surrounds this former planet, including the possibility of ﬁnding more Pluto‐like planets in the mysterious Kuiper Belt, an area of icy rocks at the edge of the solar system. From the scientists trying to classify Pluto to die‐hard Pluto‐philes, Tyson meets a fascinating cast of characters with just one thing in common: Strong opinions about Pluto. Based on Tyson's book of the same name, The Pluto Files is an exciting and entertaining look at the solar system's best‐loved non‐planet.

Directions to Rood Hall Head north up the Howard Street hill from the intersection of Howard and Stadium Drive. Turn right onto W. Michigan Ave. and then go left at the round‐a‐bout. Turn right into the parking lot. Parking in the employee/ student lot is perfectly safe and free all day on Saturday. Rood Hall is located just past Everett Tower.

Admission isis FREE! The KAS will provide the popcorn and soft drinks. You justjust need to show up and have a great time! For more information and directions to Rood Hall, please visit our web site: www.kasonline.org In 2009, the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society celebrated the Will Millar was one of our favorite guest speakers, but now International Year of Astronomy in grand fashion. In 2011, he’s a KAS member. That of course means we can look we hope to celebrate the 75th anniversary of our esteemed forward to more presentations from Will and we don’t have organization in equally grand (or grander) fashion. That to pay him! (Sorry, Will, couldn’t help myself.) Will’s talk makes 2010 kind of an “in-between” year. That’s not to say at the April 9th meeting was entitled The Death of Stars, The 2010 wasn’t a great year all by itself. It was. In fact, it was Stuff of Life. another one for the record books. Our first guest speaker of the year was our old friend Robert Many of our members have become accustomed to quality Miller. Robert’s given many excellent presentations for us presentations at our general meetings. The past year was no over the years. His latest talk was called Advances in White exception and we have several of our own people to thank Dwarf Star Research and was given on May 7th. Dr. Richard for it. Bill Nigg started the year off right with his Frazin came to us from the University of Michigan on June presentation Mars is Coming...Again at the January 8th 4th. His presentation was called 3D Imaging of the Sun’s meeting. I gave the feature presentation at the February 5th Corona. Dr. Heather Jacobson was our latest guest presenter meeting, which was called Orion Always Comes Up from Michigan State University. The title of her Sideways. Hopefully those that attended enjoyed my talk, presentation, given on September 10th, was Our Dusty but that’s not what we’ll remember the February meeting for. Universe. Finally, veteran astrophotographer Clay Kessler February 5th is also the day we held the award ceremony for paid us a visit at Astrophotography Night on October 1st. His the Galileo Writing Contest winners. In a way, this was our presentation was called Simple Astrophotography for big finale for the International Year of Astronomy. We’ve Everyone. I was sorry to miss that one. Thanks to all our never seen the presentation center at KAMSC so packed. members and guest presenters. Naturally, we’ve got some Every available seat was taken and many people had to sit or very special general meeting presentations planned for our stand in the aisle. Michael Francis’ address as Galileo made 75th anniversary. the award ceremony all the more special. I know at least a couple of the winners brought their Galileoscopes to some Another thing we’ve become accustomed to is mixed success Public Observing Sessions. with the weather. Our clear sky rate for the Public Observing Sessions at the Nature Center was again around Mike Sinclair discussed Astronomy Before Copernicus: The 50%. Observing events at the Kiwanis Conversation Area Ptolemaic Tradition at the general meeting on March 5th. near Marshall fared worse. All three sessions we planned had to be canceled. This includes the Messier Marathon in March and the two public star parties in June and September.

I’ve always wondered if the KAS would be even more successful if Michigan weather was a bit more dependable. I often encounter people that say they meant to attend an observing session, but the one they wanted to come to was canceled. Veteran amateur astronomers learn that you need to work around Mother Nature’s schedule and not the other way around. That’s a difficult thing to tell the casual observer (and students). All we can do is keep scheduling as many observing events as practical and hope for the best. Just try and keep your schedule flexible when the Moon is new!

We invite the public to almost all our activities, but it’s also important for the KAS to attend other organizations events. Arthur Woodward was one of 66 winners in the Galileo This is part of our community outreach effort and is just as Writing Contest. Here he is claiming his Galileoscope on important as anything else we do. At first, it seemed like we February 5, 2010 However, Arthur was just one of a few didn’t attend as many events this year, but then I dug through students that continued to attend KAS meetings and the 2010 newsletters. We’ve done plenty. Several of these observing sessions. Thank you, Arthur! are ones we attend every year. These include “Science Night” at Vicksburg Middle School (March 10th) and

Prime Focus Page 4 January 2011

Kellogg Elementary (April 22nd). We were also invited to setup displays at Plainwell Middle School’s “Science Night” for the first time ever on March 16th. We also regularly attend Free Admission Day at the Nature Center (April 17th) and the Kindleberger Festival in Parchment (July 10th). Another regular event is Education Day at Western Michigan University, which was held very early in the day on October 30th. “Spooky Science Saturday” at Kingman Museum is also becoming a regular event. This year’s event was held on October 23rd and had an estimated 4,088 people attend! We just need to make sure to bring A LOT more hands-on activity materials than we think we need. We barely got by in 2009, but ran out of materials 4 hours early in 2010!

One thing that’s been lacking the past couple of years is a field trip. About a half dozen members drove up to Grand Rapids to watch Hubble 3D on the big IMAX screen on Mike Patton and Jack Price hold up the just-signed August 28th. Jean and I took a field trip to the Okie-Tex Star Facility Use Agreement at the November 5, 2010 general Party (and other destinations) in early October. We were meeting. The agreement enables us to move forward hoping to get a larger contingent together; like we did for the with the Robotic Telescope Project. 2001 and 2002 Texas Star Party. The biggest event of the year was no doubt Astronomy Day It looks like we might have better luck in 2011, since several on April 24th. As I mentioned in my report in the June 2010 members are planning to attend the Winter Star Party in the issue of Prime Focus, we had no intention of trying to outdo Florida Keys from February 28th – March 6th. I’d like 2009’s event. Aside from the weather, Astronomy Day 2010 everyone to consider taking a couple other special field trips was better than our award-winning event in 2009. It was in 2011. The Fourth of July weekend occurs around the time great having Michael Francis back to perform The of New Moon this year. Wouldn’t it be great to spend it Stargazer’s Apprentice and it was an absolute honor having under the dark skies of Cherry Springs State Park in Story Musgrave as our keynote speaker. Astronomy Day Pennsylvania? That’s where the Black Forest Star Party is 2011 is still in the early planning stages. Jean and I were held, but amateur astronomers can set up there year-round. hoping to make Mars the theme, but the folks we had in If Cherry Springs is too far then perhaps we could find a mind for keynote speakers are too expensive. Mars may be good spot up north. I’ve also kicked around the idea of half the size of Earth, but Mars expert lecture fees are three taking a field trip to the Air & Space Museum in times what we can afford! I’ve still got a few tricks up my Washington, D.C. the past couple of years. We could invite sleeve, but I certainly wouldn’t mind hearing some several other astronomy clubs and reserve a bus like we did suggestions. for our trip to Yerkes Observatory in 2000. Another big accomplishment this year was completing the Facility Use Agreement with Mike Patton. I’d again like to thank the entire Robotic Telescope Task Force for getting us past this first crucial step. The next logical step is fund raising, which will be even more challenging than creating the agreement. It’s going to be an uphill battle all the way, but it’ll be worth it if we’re successful. Just imagine all the cool science that could be done and images we could take under the dark, transparent skies of Arizona Sky Village.

Lastly, I need to report on the state of KAS membership. We set a record of 131 memberships at the end of 2009. In 2010, I’m happy to report, we broke that record. As I type this we have 135 memberships. (FYI: This is the total number of paid membership. We also gave away free student memberships to the Galileo Writing Contest winners. If we include them the actual total is 199 memberships.) I’ll take Richard Bell and Jean DeMott pose with famous retired this as evidence we’re on the right track. I feel confident in astronaut Story Musgrave on the night before Astronomy saying that we still haven’t reached our peak. I truly believe Day (April 23, 2010). Several members attended the the best has yet to come. Here’s hoping for a stellar 75th dinner we held in his honor. anniversary celebration.

Prime Focus Page 5 January 2011 Astronomers Stumble onto Huge Space Molecules by Trudy E. Bell & Dr. Tony Phillips

Deep in interstellar space, in a the swirling gaseous envelope of a planetary nebula, hosts of carbon atoms have joined together to form large three-dimensional molecules of a special type previously seen only on Earth. Astronomers discovered them almost accidentally using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

“They are the largest molecules known in space,” declared Jan Cami of the University of Western Ontario, lead author of a paper with three colleagues published in Science online on July 22, 2010, and in print on September 3.

Not only are the molecules big: they are of a special class of carbon molecules known as “fullerenes” because their Although fullerenes have been sought in space for the last 25 structure resembles the geodesic domes popularized by years, ever since they were first identified in the laboratory, architect Buckminster Fuller. Spitzer found evidence of two the astronomers practically stumbled into the discovery. Co- types of fullerenes. The smaller type, nicknamed the author Jeronimo Bernard-Salas of Cornell University, an “buckyball,” is chemical formula C60, made of 60 carbon expert in gas and dust in planetary nebulae, was doing routine atoms joined in a series of hexagons and pentagons to form a research with Spitzer's infrared observations of planetary spherical closed cage exactly like a black-and-white soccer nebulae with its spectroscopy instrument. When he studied the ball. Spitzer also found a larger fullerene, chemical formula spectrum (infrared signature) of a dim planetary nebula called C70, consisting of 70 carbon atoms in an elongated closed cage Tc 1 in the southern-hemisphere constellation of Ara, he more resembling an oval rugby ball. noticed several clear peaks he had not seen before in the spectra of other planetary nebulae. Neither type of fullerene is rigid; instead, their carbon atoms vibrate in and out, rather like the surface of a large soap “When he came to me,” recounted Cami, an astrophysicist bubble changes shape as it floats through the air. “Those who specializes in molecular chemistry, “I immediately and vibrations correspond to wavelengths of infrared light emitted intuitively knew it I was looking at buckyballs in space. I've or absorbed — and that infrared emission is what Spitzer never been that excited!” The authors confirmed his hunch by recorded,” Cami explained. carefully comparing the Tc 1 spectrum to laboratory experiments described in the literature.

“This discovery shows that it is possible — even easy — for complex carbonaceous molecules to form spontaneously in space,” Cami said. “Now that we know fullerenes are out there, we can figure out their roles in the physics and chemistry of deep space. Who knows what other complex chemical compounds exist — maybe even some relevant to the formation of life in the universe!”

Stay tuned!

Learn more about this discovery at:

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu

For kids, there are lots of beautiful Spitzer images to match up in the Spitzer Concentration game at:

Superimposed on a Spitzer infrared photo of the Small http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/spitzer/concentration Magellanic Cloud is an artist's illustration depicting a magnified view of a planetary nebula and an even further This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, magnified view of buckyballs, which consist of 60 carbon California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the atoms arranged like soccer balls. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Prime Focus Page 6 January 2011 JanuaryJanuary NightNight Sky...... Sky......

This star map is property of the This map represents the sky at the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. NORTH following local standard times: However you may make as many  Late December 10 pm copies as you wish free-of-charge, so long as it is for non-profit  Early January 9 pm educational purposes and full  Late January 8 pm credit is given to the KAS.  Early February 7 pm www.kasonline.org EAST WEST

SOUTH

im your binoculars or telescope The peak of the Quadrantid meteor could spot between 10 and 60 meteors at Jupiter between January 2nd shower coincides with a New Moon per hour. AA and 5th and see if you can spot a during the predawn hours of January 4th. small blue disk about ½° north of the The radiant of this shower is located A Waning Gibbous Moon, Saturn, and giant planet. That’s no moon (or star), where the constellations Hercules, the bright star Spica (in Virgo) form an it’s Uranus! This rare alignment makes Boötes, and Draco meet. If conditions isosceles triangle in the sky during the Uranus easy to find without a star map. are right, northern hemisphere observers early morning hours of January 25th. Kalamazoo Astronomical Society

Membership Application Form

 New Membership  Membership Renewal Date: ______

I have checked the class of membership desired and enclosed a check or money order made payable to the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society for:

 Regular Membership: $20.00 (1 year) / $35.00 (2 years) ______

 Family Membership: $25.00 (1 year) / $45.00 (2 years) ______

 Senior Family (65 & over): $20.00 (1 year) / $35.00 (2 years) ______

 Students / Senior (65 & over): $15.00 (1 year) / $25.00 (2 years) ______

 Sky & Telescope subscription $32.95* (1 year only) ______(*First time subscribers only. Please fill out a separate check made payable to Sky Publishing.)

 Additional Donation: ______(Contributions are tax-deductible.) TOTAL: ______Please fill out the information below as completely as possible. Private information will not be shared with anyone but authorized KAS members.

Name: ______

Address: ______

City:______State:______Zip:______

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 Please supply an e-mail address since our newsletter is now sent out as an electronic PDF. The FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files. It can be downloaded from the Acrobat Reader web site.

Are you interested in attending the five part Introduction to Amateur Astronomy lecture series?  Yes  No If yes, which day and time are best for you? ______

How did you find out about the KAS?  TV  Radio  Newspaper Mail To...

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society  Internet  School  KAS Member Who? ______c/o KAMSC 600 West Vine, Suite 400  Kalamazoo Nature Center  Other ______Kalamazoo, MI 49008

www.kasonline.org KAS BOARD January 2011 Page 9 PRESIDENT

Jack Price 343-3193

VICE PRESIDENT

Richard Bell The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society’s 373-8942 Orion ShortTube 80mm refractor,

mounted on the light and ultra-portable TREASURER EQ-1 mount, is available for loan. Rich Mather

629-5312 This little scope gives great wide-field views and can be setup in a snap. Contact SECRETARY/ALCOR the KAS Equipment Manager, Dave Roger Williams Woolf, today if you’d like to use it: 375-4867 e-mail: go4itbass @ gmail.com

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE phone: (269) 762-8269 Joe Borrello 321-0410

Dick Gillespie S&T Subscription Discount 966-9653 One of the many benefits of KAS Scott Macfarlane membership is a $10 discount on a one year 679-2865 subscription to the premiere astronomical Don Stilwell magazine, Sky & Telescope. A regular one 963-5856 year subscription costs $42.95; you pay only $32.95. It’s like receiving two free issues! E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER To take advantage, bring a check (made payable to Sky Publishing) to the next general meeting or contact KAS Treasurer Rich Mather (629-5312) for more information. First-time subscribers must pay through the KAS to receive the discount.

If you have a change of home and/or e -mail address please contact one of the following KAS Board Members by phone Moving? or e-mail: Moving? Richard Bell 373-8942

Roger Williams 375-4867

If you are moving out of town before your membership expires please contact us anyway. You paid for a years worth of newsletters and that’s what you’ll get! General Meeting Preview

1936 a group of Kalamazoo College students took a one semester course about astronomy. They learned about InIn the nature of galaxies and the life cycle of stars – concepts that were brand new at the time. The course eventually came to an end, but the journey was just beginning. The students formed the Kalamazoo Amateur Astronomical Association so they could continue to learn about the universe around them. Seventy- five years later their legacy, now known as the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society, is the oldest and one of the largest organizations of its kind in Michigan. Enhanced by home movies and news footage, Richard Bell will discuss the KAS's greatest events and accomplishments.

— Friday, January 7 @ 7:00 pm —

Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center  600 West Vine, Suite 400  Elevator Access Available

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC STAMP 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008