August 2009 PRIMEFOCUS

Astronomical League Member Society :

2 – Club Calendar

3 – Opportunities & Reports 4 – The Sky this Month

5 – Newton’s & Galileo’s Scopes 6 – Rocks & Ice in the Solar System 7 – Your Most Important Optics M81 “Bode’s Galaxy” by Steve Tuttle 9 – Stargazers’ Diary 1

August 2009

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

YeeHaw!

Museum

Star Party

It’s SWAP MEET Time!

3RF Lunar Party

Hey Buckaroos! Bring yourself and your gently used surplus

Astro Stuff to the August meeting for buyin’, sellin’, tradin’,

barterin’ & otherwise ropin’ in some new to you tack & tackle!

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Moon at Apogee

Full Moon

(252,294 miles)

7:55 pm

8:00 pm

Mariner 7. flew by

Mars 40 years ago,

and passed within

Zond 7 – USSR’s 2206.5 miles of the

planet's south pole Lunar Flyby launched region. It is now in a for a Lunar fly-around solar orbit. and Earth return.

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Third Qtr Moon Algol at Minima

1:55 pm

2:21 am

Jupiter Perseid Opposition Meteor Shower Disc is significantly peak larger this time around @ 48.95”

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Make use of the New Moon at Perigee New Moon 3RF Star Party Moon Weekend for (223,469 miles) 5:02 am

better viewing at the 12:01 am

Dark Sky Site

FWAS

Meeting

And Algol at Minima Neptune Swap Meet New Moon New Moon Opposition Weekend Weekend 11:09 pm 7pm Normal Room

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 20 Years Ago First Qtr Moon 3RF Lunar Party Voyager 2 went past 6:42 am Neptune for the last New Moon flyby on its amazing Weekend mission.

30 31

Moon at Apogee Saturn’s rings (251,822 miles) Double shadow inclined 0.37O but 6:00 am transit on Jupiter nearly impossible to 9:42 pm see

Observing and Outreach Opportunities Weather permitting (FWAS contacts in parentheses)

August 2009 — Caddo Lake State Park & Wildlife Management Area — Stargazing — Every Thursday. Make your own star wheel and learn how to use it. Then take a walk through our solar system and view the night sky through our telescope. Weather permitting; we will meet on the fishing pier. 9-10:30 p.m. (903) 679-3351. August 1 — Fort Worth Museum of Science and History – Star Parties give you and your family a chance to explore the craters of the moon, the polar ice caps of Mars, and more! The Fort Worth Astronomical Society will set up our telescopes on the parking lot south of the Museum construction site off of Montgomery Street. (Linda Krouse & Michele Martinez)

August 1 — Guadalupe River State Park — Stories in the Stars — We'll begin the evening with a presentation and fun-filled story and skit and then head out under the starlit sky to check out galaxies, nebulas, planets and more through telescopes. Call for times (830) 438-2656. August 1, 22, 29 — Three Rivers Foundation (3RF) Star & Lunar Parties — 3RF invites you out to Comanche Springs near Crowell, Texas for a night under the stars. The dark skies of Big Ranch Country provide a spectacular view of the universe. The party starts with solar observing followed by a break. Evening activities begin with a short educational introduction to astronomy. The observatories and Star Field are then opened to the public to enjoy the use of many different kinds of astronomy instruments. For more information the day of a scheduled star party, please call 940-655-3384. (Russ Boatright and Doug Brown) (Panhandle Plains, where Oklahoma tucks into the Texas Panhandle) August 5 — World Birding Center - Estero Llano Grande State Park — Full Moon Party — Come celebrate the full moon and see all the park has to offer after hours. We will take a night hike; hear frogs, coyotes and pauraques; see stars and constellations and much more! Accessible for the mobility, visually and hearing impaired. 6-9 p.m.; reservations required (956) 565-3919. August 22 — Palo Duro Canyon State Park — Palo Duro Night Sky — Join an area astronomer to view the beautiful skies over Palo Duro Canyon in the Juniper Picnic Area. Bring lawn chairs and telescopes. Park in the parking area on Alternate Road 5 and walk down into picnic area. Weather permitting. Accessible for the mobility impaired. 9-10 p.m. (806) 488-2227 August 22 — Goose Island State Park — Goose Island Under the Stars — Join us this evening when volunteers from the Corpus Christi Astronomical Society lead a fascinating tour of the night skies. Learn about the constellations and see the moon, planets, stars and galaxies through the telescope. Bring your lawn chairs and your binoculars and meets us at the Recreation Hall for an informative and fun night. Accessible for the mobility impaired. 8:30 p.m. (361) 729-2858. August 28–29, 2009 — Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway — Star Party — Gaze through telescopes provided by Amarillo Astronomy Club and learn about the night sky in one of the darkest places in Texas. Accessible for the mobility impaired. 8 - 10:30 p.m., weather permitting, call to confirm program (806) 455-1492. August 29 — Purtis Creek State Park — Stargazing — Make a star wheel and learn how to use it to find constellations in the night sky. Take a walk through the solar system and have a chance to view the night sky through a telescope. Bring flashlights with red lenses or red tape will be provided. Meet at the over flow camping parking lot, weather permitting. 8 - 10 p.m. (903) 425-2332. Eustace, Texas (NE of DFW)

Thank You, Fort Worth Astronomical Society! Observing in the Sultry July heat – Ben Hudgens Thanks again to FWAS President Steve Tuttle and the members of the Fort Worth Astronomical Society. In spite From here at our home a few miles out from Stephenville, I am of drifting clouds and a slight threat of rain, the FWAS lucky to have a pretty dark sky and take advantage of that members brought out their telescopes to the Bob Jones whenever I can. I've been out five of the last six nights with my Nature Center in Southlake to share their views of Saturn recently purchased 16" dob. I gladly gave up Thursday night's and double stars. observing for the cloudy weather and the much needed rain. Yes, the heat in the day is bad, but here at the house we have a good wind blowing almost all the time and it makes for nice observing. It also keeps the bugs away. I started out the week with looking at the many dim fuzzies in the Lupus and Libra areas. The last few nights found me galaxy hopping in the Serpens area. I thought Virgo had a lot of galaxies but it seems that Serpens is just a continuation of that large area of thousands of galaxies. While observing these galaxies, I spotted THREE satellites moving close together and later determined that these are military spy satellites, named NOSS 2-1 C,D and E. They appeared about 5-6th magnitude. I also spotted a couple of the Iridium satellite flare events and one of my favorite satellites, EGP. It is a 'disco mirror' type sat and puts on a pretty good flashing light show. Binoculars are best to follow this special satellite. I will have to say that Wednesday night on July 15th was one of the best dark sky nights in a long time. The summer Milky Way was fantastic as it stretched all across the sky from Scorpius to Cassiopeia. Objects like M17 and the Veil Nebula were great without any filters; and with the O-III filter they appeared like the photos you see in the magazines.

The Sky This Month – “Bob’s Place” in Wise County (NE pad) -- 9 pm local time, August 15 (from Heavens-Above.com)

Magnetic Declination Bob’s Place 4° 48' E Thomsen Foundation 4° 39' E

(Both are changing by 0° 7' W/year)

Star Charts: Sky & Telescope Sky Maps http://tinyrul.com/5np8n http://www.skymaps.com Heavens Above International Space Station Transits http://www.heavens-above.com http://tinyrul.com/y8zk5c

Planets, Meteors, and Comets, Oh My!

Be sure to catch Saturn EARLY in the month, and then EARLY at Jupiter is at opposition on 14th at 1pm our time (local solar noon is dusk. His progress towards superior conjunction next month is 1:34), so morning set or evening rise will give you the same disc moving swiftly. You will need low western horizons; from my tree- which is particularly “large” this cycle. Neptune follows suit and is at lined backyard, he is already lost. He has an evening conjunction opposition the evening of the 17th. Mercury is at greatest eastern with Mercury on our swap meet night of the 18th (FW sunset @ 8:11). elongation on the 24th, passing very close to Regulus at the heart of Only well aligned go-to’s should try to find him late in August or the Leo on the 2nd, and he is then south of Saturn on the 18th. ring plane passage on Sept 4th and he will be so low that high Morning star Mars slides from Taurus into Gemini on the 26th and is resolution images are all but impossible. He has put on a great show 0.8O south of open cluster M35 near the foot stars of Gemini on the for us this year, and begins his stint as a morning star in October, 29th and he is 1.1O north of the orange Eta Gemini on the last morning where he’ll have conjunctions with the inner planets. Notice in the of the month. Venus also is a morning planet, and passes just south mid-month sky chart above that Saturn is exiting our sky as Jupiter th th of the waning Moon on the 17 . enters it. (Bit o’ a Hint: the rings are “invisible” from the 10 on).

And now we’re on to the Perseid Meteor shower that peaks on the morning of the 12th. It’s not enough that we risk boiling our brains to go outside this time of year; but this year, this Hallmark-Moment shower peak (up to 60 per hour) is disrupted by a slightly waning gibbous Moon that is rising about midnight – just when the shower really gets going. (With rare exception, and no right this red-hot moment I can’t think of a single one, all meteor showers are best from midnight to dawn.) Is it worth checking out, with the moon and all? Sure! This shower often produces some bright shooting stars that can leave some nice long and persistent trails. As always, the best viewing is out from under the urban light dome. Overall, the shower lasts from July 23rd to August 22nd and you might be able to see some during this entire time.

Club outreaches - Norm Robinson

The club recently held outreaches at three locations in Tarrant County. The first was for the North Richland Hills High School at the Jack Faram Park where Patrick McMahon, Mike Ahler, Matt Reed, and Norm Robinson shared their scopes with about 63 visitors. The second outreach was at Stevens Park for the Girl Scouts where John Dowell and Norm Robinson put on the show for 64 scouts and leaders. Finally, the club’s IYA2009 outreach at the Bob Jones Nature Center in Southlake brought out Matt Reed, Mike Ahler, Patrick McMahon, Steve Tuttle, and Norm Robinson who shared Mizar, Saturn and M57 (the Powdered Sugar Doughnut Nebula) for a short time as cloud cover worked its way in.

Executive Board Report

• 1st meeting was held July 15, 2009 at Dos Gringos. • Attendees: Steve T., Lee V., Floyd M., Trista O. and Phil S. • Several topics were discussed informally • General meeting format • Status of finances (the accounts are in the process of being handed off) • Volunteer time tracking • Our bylaws mandate an Executive Board meeting occur each odd numbered month, no specific dates have been set as of this writing. Notification will be sent via e-group as these dates are set

Galileo’s and Newton’s Scopes

Ron DiIulio brought full-sized replicas of two of history’s most famous telescopes to the July meeting. These working models will be soon be housed in a 400 Years of the Telescope display at UNT – Denton’s Physics Department; but Ron wanted to share them with the club before they were installed. Notice the Newton’s wood ball mount with metal retainers. After the meeting, several members also got to experience the amazingly narrow apparent field of view through Galileo’s scope. And no, you can’t see your house from here.

This month’s theme of the International Year of Astronomy is: Rocks & Ice in the Solar System Tom Koonce Antelope Valley Astronomy Club, Lancaster, California Fort Worth Astronomical Society, Fort Worth, Texas

I hope you're all having a great summer of observing! The Antelope Valley Astronomy Club had a spectacular view of the summer deep sky favorites during our club's dark sky party in July. We observe from the top of Mt. Pinos at 8600 ft., at the same location that Tony and Daphne Hallas used to shoot many of their beautiful astrophotos. June 20, 1994: My Uncle generously decided to pass along his 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to me and make the switch to binoculars that better fit his astronomical observing habits. That gift was what launched me into “serious” amateur astronomy . . . but that’s not why I remember the date so well. Saturday night, March 23, 1996: My wife and I drove 25 miles north on I-35 out of Fort Worth to a dark, quiet country lane with open fields on either side of us. Surprisingly there were at least a hundred other cars already parked along the sides of the road with people getting ready to do exactly what we were going to do ☺ . . . but that’s not why I remember the date so well. “Rocks and Ice in the Solar System” have made an indelible mark on mankind and probably on each of you too. Our recorded history is full of dramatic references to cometary visitors and falling stars. Many of history’s events have been influenced by the superstitious belief that comets were harbingers of great success or of doom. Many of us have read of Augustus Caesar ascending to Emperor of Rome as a comet hung in the sky. It was common for royal births and deaths that occurred during comet apparitions to be recorded as being related directly with the comet. As William Shakespeare said, “When beggars die there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.” If you’ve seen a comet and its tail, even if faintly through a telescope, you know how dramatic they appear. The brightest, most easily visible comets are called “Great Comets.” These can be seen by the naked eye by multitudes of people across the Earth while the wisps of their icy tails are blown back by the solar wind. As they stretch across the sky, they are so extraordinary that they are easily remembered for the rest of a person’s life. It seems natural that they have figured so prominently throughout history; indeed it would seem more remarkable if they had not! Comet Hyukatake (Credit: Amador Astronomical Society) The Saturday night of March 23, 1996, is fixed firmly in my memory as the night we spent watching Comet Hyukutake stretching gracefully across the northern sky. It was awe inspiring. Even though there were several hundred people on that dark road that night, only hushed voices were heard. We were casually sitting on the hoods of our cars and in lawn chairs, but everyone knew that we were witness to a very special celestial event, and there was a certain reverence to the moment. Later, a police car came around a bend of the road and his headlights shone upon all of the cars and the people looking up at the sky. He came to a sudden stop and the officer just sat in his car for a few minutes looking at us. He must have been quite startled by the scene. I’ll never forget what happened next. He got out of his car, looked around slowly at us, started to say something, but stopped… and then he looked up. He just stood there looking for a minute then walked back to his car, turned off the headlights and shut off the car. He came back over without saying a word and watched The Great Comet of 1996 with us for a half hour or so. As I said, there was a certain reverence to the moment. Our solar system has countless asteroids, and distant rocky Kuiper Belt Objects. Our Earth is struck many times each minute by particles of rice grain-sized rock. 40,000 kg of material falls daily on Earth,

6 most of it in the form of micrometeorites that hit the upper atmosphere, and then fall to Earth. We know that these rocks from space come in many different sizes and some are even left over debris from cometary tails. I have seen great displays of meteoritic activity. Several years ago (November, 2002) a fellow amateur astronomer and I witnessed a stunning (but sadly, too short) five minute burst of Leonid meteors with an equivalent rate of over 700 per hour from a dark sky site. I’m sure we will always remember that portion of the evening and that we were the only two observers left when the meteor shower peak finally came. Occasionally the Earth gets hit by rocks and ice that are truly impressive. The Tunguska Event in 1909 was very likely caused by a collision of rock or ice with the Earth. Several mass extinctions of life on the planet have been attributed to collisions at a much larger scale; for instance the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago may have been from an asteroid approximately 4 to 9 miles across. But these events seem to lack the real-world immediacy which resulted from a chain of events that started at Mount Palomar on the night of March 24, 1993. That night, a photograph taken by Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker and David Levy revealed a comet which now bears their names. It was soon determined that their comet was headed towards Jupiter on a collision course and it was breaking up into a “string of pearls”; a long line of cometary fragments that would hit Jupiter like slow-motion bombardment. If we fast forward fifteen months - I received the C-8 from my Uncle on June 20, and was learning how to use it efficiently. Exactly a month later, on July 20, 1994, I vividly remember looking through the telescope with several other amateurs as we watched the face of Jupiter turn slowly towards us to reveal the scars of massive cometary collisions the size of the entire Earth. There were a few brief cries of astonishment that the impact was so visible followed by stunned silence as we contemplated the energies involved in collisions that could have wiped the Earth clean of life. There was a certain reverence to the moment. Astronomy offers unforgettable moments like those to us.

We do not remember days; we remember moments. Cesare Pavese

Jupiter & Comet Shoemaker-Levy impact photos courtesy NASA.

Your Most Important Optics – from the Natiionall Eye Instiitute (http://www.neii.niih.gov/heallth/cornealldiisease/)

The cornea is the eye's outermost layer. It is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. Structure of the Cornea: Although the cornea is clear and seems to lack substance, it is actually a highly organized group of cells and proteins. Unlike most tissues in the body, the cornea contains no blood vessels to nourish or protect it against infection. Instead, the cornea receives its nourishment from the tears and aqueous humor that fills the chamber behind it. The cornea must remain transparent to refract light properly, and the presence of even the tiniest blood vessels can interfere with this process. To see well, all layers of the cornea must be free of any cloudy or opaque areas. The corneal tissue is arranged in five basic layers, each having an important function. These five layers are: Epithelium: The epithelium is the cornea's outermost region, comprising about 10 percent of the tissue's thickness. The epithelium functions primarily to: (1) Block the passage of foreign material, such as dust, water, and bacteria, into the eye and other layers of the cornea; and (2) Provide a smooth surface that absorbs oxygen and cell nutrients from tears, then distributes these nutrients to the rest of the cornea. The epithelium is filled with thousands of tiny nerve endings that make the cornea extremely sensitive to pain when rubbed or scratched. The part of the epithelium that serves as the foundation on which the epithelial cells anchor and organize themselves is called the basement membrane. Bowman's Layer: Lying directly below the basement membrane of the epithelium is a transparent sheet of tissue known as Bowman's layer. It is composed of strong layered protein fibers called collagen. Once injured, Bowman's layer can form a scar as it heals. If these scars are large and centrally located, some vision loss can occur.

7 Stroma: Beneath Bowman's layer is the stroma, which comprises about 90 percent of the cornea's thickness. It consists primarily of water (78 percent) and collagen (16 percent), and does not contain any blood vessels. Collagen gives the cornea its strength, elasticity, and form. The collagen's unique shape, arrangement, and spacing are essential in producing the cornea's light-conducting transparency. Descemet's Membrane: Under the stroma is Descemet's membrane, a thin but strong sheet of tissue that serves as a protective barrier against infection and injuries. Descemet's membrane is composed of collagen fibers (different from those of the stroma) and is made by the endothelial cells that lie below it. Descemet's membrane is regenerated readily after injury. Endothelium: The endothelium is the extremely thin, innermost layer of the cornea. Endothelial cells are essential in keeping the cornea clear. Normally, fluid leaks slowly from inside the eye into the middle corneal layer (stroma). The endothelium's primary task is to pump this excess fluid out of the stroma. Without this pumping action, the stroma would swell with water, become hazy, and ultimately opaque. In a healthy eye, a perfect balance is maintained between the fluid moving into the cornea and fluid being pumped out of the cornea. Once endothelium cells are destroyed by disease or trauma, they are lost forever. If too many endothelial cells are destroyed, corneal edema and blindness ensue, with corneal transplantation the only available therapy. Refractive Errors: About 120 million people in the United States wear eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. These vision disorders -- called refractive errors -- affect the cornea and are the most common of all vision problems in this country. Refractive errors occur when the curve of the cornea is irregularly shaped (too steep or too flat). When the cornea is of normal shape and curvature, it bends, or refracts, light on the retina with precision. However, when the curve of the cornea is irregularly shaped, the cornea bends light imperfectly on the retina. This affects good vision. The refractive process is similar to the way a camera takes a picture. The cornea and lens in your eye act as the camera lens. The retina is similar to the film. If the image is not focused properly, the film (or retina) receives a blurry image. The image that your retina "sees" then goes to your brain, which tells you what the image is. When the cornea is curved too much, or if the eye is too long, faraway objects will appear blurry because they are focused in front of the retina. This is called myopia, or nearsightedness. Myopia affects over 25 percent of all adult Americans. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is the opposite of myopia. Distant objects are clear, and close-up objects appear blurry. With hyperopic, images focus on a point beyond the retina. Hyperopia results from an eye that is too short. Astigmatism is a condition in which the uneven curvature of the cornea blurs and distorts both distant and near objects. A normal cornea is round, with even curves from side to side and top to bottom. With astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like the back of a spoon, curved more in one direction than in another. This causes light rays to have more than one focal point and focus on two separate areas of the retina, distorting the visual image. Two-thirds of Americans with myopia also have astigmatism. Refractive errors are usually corrected by eyeglasses or contact lenses. Although these are safe and effective methods for treating refractive errors, refractive surgeries are becoming an increasingly popular option. What is the function of the cornea? Because the cornea is as smooth and clear as glass but is strong and durable, it helps the eye in two ways: 1: It helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. The cornea shares this protective task with the eyelids, the eye socket, tears, and the sclera, or white part of the eye. 2: The cornea acts as the eye's outermost lens. It functions like a window that controls and focuses the entry of light into the eye. The cornea contributes between 65-75 percent of the eye's total focusing power. When light strikes the cornea, it bends--or refracts--the incoming light onto the lens. The lens further refocuses that light onto the retina, a layer of light sensing cells lining the back of the eye that starts the translation of light into vision. For you to see clearly, light rays must be focused by the cornea and lens to fall precisely on the retina. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that are sent through the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets them as images. The refractive process is similar to the way a camera takes a picture. The cornea and lens in the eye act as the camera lens. The retina is similar to the film. If the image is not focused properly, the film (or retina) receives a blurry image. The cornea also serves as a filter, screening out some of the most damaging ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths in sunlight. Without this protection, the lens and the retina would be highly susceptible to injury from UV radiation.

Stargazers’ Diary – Russ Boatright and Doug Brown

July 24, 2009 - Morgan Mill, Texas - clear skies - young moon

The Away Team was prepared for a trip out to Comanche Springs this weekend, but the weatherman was hedging his bets. While Friday night looked to be decent, Saturday looked marginal at best. The locals always say that when the forecast is for mostly cloudy with a chance of showers, it usually doesn't develop. But we were struck by deja moo; the feeling that we've heard this bull before. And since Friday looked to be the best observing night offered this weekend, we didn't want to waste it in traveling. Fortunately, other options developed locally. Jason Irby, an astronomer and imager who we had met through LASS, has a sweet private observing site near Morgan Mill in Erath County. He had extended an invitation to us previously, so we asked if his site would be open for business on Friday. When he said to come on down, we started to adjust our plans and formed an observing posse. We bolstered the Away Team numbers with FWASers Ben Hudgens and his 16" dob, and Matt Reed and his 8" dob. Several other LASS members from nearby Stephenville also were in attendance. Together, we enjoyed a sweet night out under the stars. We arrived around twilight, and began to assemble 20" Mr T, the Obsession telescope, under the darkest skies that we've found within an hour of Cowtown. The scope was put through its initial paces with a good look at the setting new moon along with a peek at nearby Saturn, during its seasonal farewell. Both were interesting despite swimming in the western horizon haze. After the moon slipped away, the night grew darker still (well, duh). It was relatively cool for July and a soft breeze kept the insects away but without the force to blow the tubes around. It was time to indulge our passion for DSOs, and we had a laundry list of about a dozen targets to explore. A quick visit to galaxy M51 served as a transparency check and spiral arms were easily apparent with low power, so we plunged into the list. Three different galaxies that are all within the same FOV; NGC 5981, 5982, and 5985, a spindle, elliptical, and face on spiral, respectively, in Draco that are sometimes called the Draco group had recently been featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day. We had last seen this terrific group a few years back in the 30" Night Queen out at 3RF, and recalled it as being a real stunner. Of course, it was even more so in the Hubble pix used as the APOD, but it showed well here, too, much to the delight of the group. Mr T was slewed onto numerous other great sights, most notably Barnard 86, the inkspot dark nebula in Sagittarius. This target needs the noise of background stars to obscure in order to show well, and the darkness of this site obliged. Ben kept finding interesting objects with his 16" dob coupled with a 35mm Panoptic EP on loan from Mr T, while Matt and Jason, discovering common ground in programming, came perilously close to allowing their night to dissolve into excessive shop talk. Fortunately, the ohs and ahs coming from the telescope viewers seemed to focus their attention on the matter at hand. And Doug's surgically repaired knee handled the ladder with ease, perhaps due to the Lee Majors autographed bionic parts that the doctors used. We had no luck with the recent impact scar on Jupiter, but tremendous luck viewing a new target in Sagittarius, that would be the star of the day. NGC 6440 and 6445 are a globular star cluster and a planetary nebula within the same medium power FOV. NGC 6440 is a small, but densely concentrated glob that didn't burst into stars at medium power, while NGC 6445 is a very unusual irregular planetary nebula that showed well with no filters, and even better with an OIII. It appears as a rough rectangle with holes shot through it. Almost like a distorted dumbbell. Since Sagittarius is such a target rich constellation, these two jewels have managed to hide in plain sight from us up until now. We should probably rename this stargazing group The Friends of Newton, because while all makes and models of telescopes are welcome, our essence is reflectors with aperture, star hopping around the heavens. Darkness and aperture still rule.

The Fine Print

FWAS Contact information to: [email protected]. Second http://www.fortworthastro.com Place 2008 Mable Sterns Award (Dean Crabtree) Officers: Steve Tuttle – President FWAS Annual Dues - $40 for adults / Lee Vinson – Vice President families, $20.00 for students (half-price Floyd May – Secretary - Treasurer Jan 1 thru June 30); checks payable to Meetings – FWAS meets at 7:00 PM on the the Fort Worth Astronomical Society; third Tuesday of the month at the UNT payments can be mailed to 6045 Worrell Observing Site Reminders Health Science Center – Research & Dr. Fort Worth, TX 76133, or in-person at Education Building, Room 100; 3500 the next indoor meeting. Membership Be careful with fire, ban still in effect Camp Bowie Blvd; Ft. Worth. Guests and runs July 1 through June 30. (Floyd May) All members … visitors are always welcome. (Steve Discount Subscriptions Available – Sky & Tuttle) Telescope ($32.95), and Astronomy (1 Sign the logbook in the clubhouse Put equipment back neatly when Web Site – http://www.fortworthastro.com year for $34.00; 2 years for $60.00). A Sky & Telescope subscription through finished E-Group (members only) – You may post FWAS entitles you to 10% off purchases Leave a log note if there is a club messages to the group by sending e-mail at Sky and Telescope’s on-line store. equipment problem; also, please to [email protected]. Any message (Floyd May) contact a FWAS Trustee to let them sent to [email protected] will be know automatically sent to all members on the Astronomical League Membership – Your Turn out the bathroom light and close list. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to FWAS membership also enrolls you in the the door tightly – do NOT lock; [email protected] Include Astronomical League. This makes you leave the thermostat alone. your real name. eligible for various observing certificates Maintain Dark-Sky etiquette and you get their quarterly magazine, Turn out your headlights at the gate! Outreach – items concerning FWAS Reflector. League Observing clubs: Outreach activities should be addressed http://tinyurl.com/3vjh4fl (Tres Ross) Last person out, please … to [email protected] (John Dowell) Fort Worth Museum of Science & History Turn off lights Prime Focus – The FWAS newsletter is See the Museum’s website for schedules: Check all doors – published monthly. Letters to the editor, http://tinyurl.com/3jkn5j (Linda Krouse) Closed, but not locked articles for publication, photos, or just Make sure nothing is left out about anything you would like to have included in the newsletter should be sent

Credits Cover Image: M81 – “Bode’s Galaxy” Steve Tuttle Observing Data RCAS 2009 Observers’ Handbook Historical Data The Year in Space 2009 (Planetary Society) Sky Chart www.heavens-above.com Meteor Finder Chart Sky & Telescope Historical Telescope Models Trista Oppermann Someone Holding the Sun Image Harvested from a feel-good chain email

The Kuiper Belt is the largest structure in the solar system. We used to think Pluto was a misfit.

Alan Stern Navigate the Newsletter

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