June 2018 Volume 25, Number 6

Monthly Newsletter of the

NORTHERN COLORADO ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

webpage: http://nocoastro.org/ facebook http://www.facebook.com/NoCoAstro

Established in 1995 as a non-profit organization, the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society is dedicated to promoting the art and science of astronomy, and encouraging and coordinating activities of amateur astronomers. The society meets the first Thursday of each month to discuss interests and experiences in the universal world of astronomy. Monthly meetings are free, open to the public, and feature lectures from professionals in the field.

2018 NCAS OFFICERS President ...... Ann Donoghue ...... [email protected] Vice President ...... Greg Halac ...... [email protected] Secretary ...... Carla Johns ...... [email protected] Treasurer ...... Charlie Davis ...... [email protected] Newsletter Editor . . . . . Patrick Fitzhorn ...... [email protected] Outreach Coordinator . . . Greg Halac ...... [email protected] Web Master ...... Paul Fleming ...... [email protected]

JUNE NCAS MEETING Date: Thursday, June 7, 2018 Time: 6:15 pm Location: Otterbox Digital Dome Theater Fort Collins Museum of Discovery 408 Mason Ct., Fort Collins Speaker: Scott Francis, EDL Analyst, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Topic: Overview of the InSight Mars Lander Mission Abstract: InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, launched on May 5th and will arrive at Mars on November 26th of this year. It will be the first mission to study in-depth the interior structure of Mars, measuring seismic activity, interior heat flow, and the precise motion of the planet in its orbit. This presentation will give an overview of the science goals and engineering of the mission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS OF THE NCAS ...... 2 OUR NIGHT SKY IN JUNE ...... 2 ASTRONOMY IN NORTHERN COLORADO ...... 3 ASTRONOMY ACTIVITIES ...... 3 ASTRONOMY NEWS...... 4 CORRESPONDENCE ...... 4 “WHAT’S OUT TONIGHT” - CHART FOR THIS MONTH ...... 5 NCAS CALENDAR ...... 6 1 | P a g e

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE Image Reflected in the Front Page Objective NEWS OF THE NCAS NEWSLETTER Please send articles, information, reviews, NCAS member Charlie Davis, , news, astrophotos, etc. that are of interest NGC5139. Taken at the Texas Star Party 2018 – see to NCAS members. Desired contributions Correspondence section in this newsletter for further MAY NCAS MEETING NOTES include: information. Treasurer’s report was given. There are • Reports on NCAS outreach activities 59 paid members of the NCAS with a total • Descriptions of upcoming NCAS Why write about this seemingly of $4,259.93 in the society’s accounts. events Greg Halac gave an outreach report with nondescript out of the myriad of • Announcements of local and regional 3 of the 5 April events cancelled due to viewable that night? There’s events of interest to members inclement weather. The other two hosted more to NGC 5247 than meets the eye. • Photos of members, events, outreach 148 visitors total. There were 5 events It’s a member of a gravitationally bound activities, astro-photos… scheduled for May. It was noted that the group of about 100 galaxies, 110 million • Descriptions of star parties, private or June newsletter will be late due to some light-years in diameter, named the Virgo public viewing sessions, tours of adventuring on the part of the newsletter . Since NGC 5247 is only 60 observatories or planetariums and editor. Several news items were million light-years away from us, two discussed including launching of the other activities of general interest. galaxies near and dear to our own hearts InSight Mars lander from the West coast – are also members – our own Milky Way, the first ever launch from there. Solar NCAS LOAN ITEMS and M31 (the Andromeda galaxy) right cycle 24 is declining much more rapidly Items belonging to the club may be next door at a distance of 2½ million light- than forecast. The All-Sky Fireball borrowed at no cost by NCAS members in years at RA 00h 42m 44s; Dec +41o 16’ 09”. Network is operation now with 17 campers good standing. New members (less than capturing meteors. Data is available at 6 months) need approval from a club To quote Lewis Carroll, it gets “curiouser their website for public use. officer to borrow some high-valued items. and curiouser.” On 4 Sep 2014 in the

The list of items and loan process can be journal Nature (vol 513, issue 7516), four JOIN THE NCAS reviewed on the NCAS web site HERE. cosmologists published a paper showing Visit http:// NoCoAstro.org/join or pay a that the is just a club officer at a monthly meeting. Dues nondescript lobe of the mighty Laniakea are $20 for the year, prorated for those supercluster of some 100,000 galaxies joining after March 31. Membership spanning over ½ billion light-years. This automatically enrolls you in the strange galactic structural web is bound Astronomical League (along with their (maybe) by an even stranger unknown quarterly publication, The Reflector). OUR NIGHT SKY IN JUNE Patrick Fitzhorn gravitational source whose scientific You also receive discounts on Sky & name, the “,” seems pretty Telescope and Astronomy magazines. Three interesting deep-sky objects will be underwhelming considering that it’s “an close to our local meridian on the ides of apparent gravitational anomaly” in a “zone CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS June (the middle of the month) at about of avoidance” described as “a Greg Halac 11pm: two galaxies and a globular cluster. concentration of mass thousands of times Member volunteers are always NGC 5247, a magnitude 10.5 unbarred more massive than the Milky Way” appreciated at outreach events. (NCAS spiral galaxy tilted about 25o face-on to according to Wikipedia. The Great members are welcome to attend all Earth and locked in our night sky’s great Attractor indeed! Predictably, it didn’t take outreach events, including "private" galactic clockwork 60 million light-years long before people asked if the Milky Way events.) Even if you don't bring a from Earth, is the southernmost of the is doomed to be lured into this monstrous telescope, you can really improve our three. Its past our present, the light we see siren’s gravitational song. Thankfully, public interactions by: from its billions of emanated when astrophysicist Dr. Paul Sutter published a • talking with people about astronomy evergreens, redwoods, grasses and other 2016 paper on Space.com with title asking • sharing views with binoculars modern plants were just starting to get a that very question: “Will the Great • discussing the (eg, roothold on Earth, and early mammals Attractor Destroy Us?” I quote: mythology in your culture-of-choice) were beginning to scatter footprints and “Slowly, inevitably, it is pulling. Over • answering questions about the club feces amongst the forests. h m s the course of billions of years, it draws Astronomically, it’s at RA 13 38 03 ; Dec o us and everything near us closer to it. If you don't feel "qualified," just hang out -17 53’ 02” with an angular diameter of The only force that acts over such with scope volunteers to learn by listening about 7’. In my telescope (250mm f/8 with o immense distance scales and through in and enjoying views thru the a 6.7mm 82 FOV eyepiece resulting in cosmic periods of time is gravity, so telescopes. (That's how all the scope about 300x magnification and a resultant whatever it is, it's massive and volunteers learned.) We maintain a FOV of 14’) I can generally see both major unrelenting. separate email list for volunteers covering arms. If your aperture is larger and/or event logistics details. If you’d like to be your viewing conditions better (or you’re His analysis? Yep – we’re astronomical added to that list please email an astrophotographer), you’ll probably toast. But only if a host of other anomalies [email protected]. see a third arm less distinct than the other (like getting ripped apart in the upcoming two along with intricate interior structure collision between the Milky Way and the and detail. It’s a truly lovely sight in a Andromeda galaxy in about 5 billion universe of many such lovely sights. years) or cosmic killers (like being swallowed by our own Sun in its red giant 2 | P a g e phase in about 7 billion years) don’t The summer solstice is on June 21st. Schmidt-Cassegrain catadioptric telescope on obliterate us first. A reassuring thought! Nope. It’s not the longest day ever a Paramount ME mount. measured due to tidal friction from the After viewing NGC 5247 and Moon and Earth’s oceans slowing THE STARGAZER OBSERVATORY contemplating the frailty of this rock we rotation. That, scientists say, was in June Front Range Community College operates this observatory in a partnership with Observatory live on, you might want to track north to 1912. Melting ice is speeding up the see M3 – that great galactic jewel, Village homes. It has a 14” Celestron C14 rotation by reducing rotational inertia. Schmidt-Cassegrain catadioptric telescope on harbinger of spring, and in my opinion the a Paramount ME mount. best globular cluster in the northern deep sky catalog. (If not number 1, then SUMMERS-BAUSCH OBSERVATORY m certainly in the top 2 or 3.) Move just 4 Operated by the Department of Astrophysical east in RA and 45o north in declination to and Planetary Sciences at CU Boulder. RA 13h 42m 12s; Dec +28o 22’ 38”, and ASTRONOMY IN NORTHERN Housing multiple telescopes, their primary there you should spot it just at the limits of instrument is a 24” f/8 Boller & Chivens COLORADO Cassegrain installed in 1973. visual perception at magnitude 6.2. Sitting at a distance of about 34,000 light- years from Earth, it’s large – over ½ million BOULDER ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SOCIETY Meetings are hosted on the UC campus at the stars and 18’ of angular diameter. Charles Fiske Planetarium. Open to students and the Messier discovered it in 1764, sort of. He public. thought it was a . It took another giant of the astronomical world, William DENVER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Herschel, to resolve its stars in 1784 Promotes understanding of astronomical ASTRONOMY ACTIVITIES before M3 took its rightful place in the list phenomenon through monthly meetings, Patrick Fitzhorn of globular clusters. Using my same outreach and activities. Meetings are held at DU’s historic Chamberlin Observatory telescope and eyepiece (assuming seeing For NCAS activities, please see the and transparency are good) the cluster calendar at the end of the newsletter and core is clear and bright with a myriad of LONGMONT ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Promotes amateur astronomy through monthly the list of upcoming events on the website bright sparkles spilling out around the meetings, star parties and public observing at http://www.NoCoAstro.org. eyepiece’s 14’ true field of view. Here’s sessions. Meetings are open to the public. where a wide eyepiece FOV can generate The 232nd meeting of the American visual return on investment. Another truly CHAMBERLIN OBSERVATORY Astronomical Society will be held in lovely sight in a universe of many such DU’s historic Chamberlin Observatory features Denver, CO June 3-7, 2018 at the lovely sights. its prized 1894 Alvan Clark 20-inch refracting Sheraton Denver Downtown on the 16th th telescope, the 35 largest refracting telescope Street Mall. The 231st meeting of the AAS Lastly, the , M51, (mag in the world. The observatory is listed on the was held January 7-12, 2018 in 8.5 transiting at 20:53 local time) is a bit National Register of Historic Places and was Washington, DC and had an attendance further to the north at RA 13h 29m 53s; Dec renovated inside and out during 2008. of about 2,500 astronomers and other +47° 11' 43". NGC 5195, a smaller and space scientists. less bright (mag 9.6) spiral galaxy, LITTLE THOMPSON OBSERVATORY appears to be visually caught in the This all-volunteer observatory, on the grounds The Rocky Mountain Star Stare is outskirts of the whirlpool but we’re 100 of Berthoud High School, features the historic scheduled for June 13–17. It’s sponsored million years too late (or 300 million years Mt. Wilson 24” f/16 Nasmyth-Cassegrain (reconfigured to an f/4 Newtonian) telescope. It by the Colorado Springs Astronomical too early) to see that phenomenon. also houses an 18” f/14 Tinsley Classical Society and will be held at their 35-acre Current cosmological models indicate that Cassegrain with a focal length of 21 feet. preserve “Starry Meadows” at Gardner, NGC 5195 is a gravitationally bound CO. There is a registration fee. satellite galaxy of M51, having passed MADISON-MACDONALD OBSERVATORY through the core of M51 ½ billion years The CSU observatory, constructed in 1965 at The Astronomical League ALCON 2018 ago and then again just 100 million years 1251 East Drive, hosts a 1905 4” Alvan Clark convention is scheduled for July 11-14 at ago. At this point, NGC 5195 has left the refractor (the oldest item currently on CSU’s the Hilton Hotel and Convention Center confines of M51 and from our vantage equipment inventory according to retired near the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. The appears slightly behind the dust lanes of astronomy Prof. Roger Culver) and a 16” Cave Optical Cassegrain reflector. Eagle Lake Observatory will be M51. Interestingly, M51 also shares traits showcased. with our Milky Way and M31. All three ESTES PARK MEMORIAL OBSERVATORY have similar sizes, luminosities, masses A community resource dedicated to fostering Rocky Mountain National Park and satellite galaxies. To imagine how the scientific education of children in Estes Park, observatory programs are now set for Milky Way looks from outside the confines and serving as an educational venue for the June through August. Click on the link to of its gravitationally locked ¼ trillion stars, community and vistors. The observatory find descriptions and dates. Dress look at M51 and M31. features a 16” Ritchey-Chretien reflector on a Paramount ME II mount. warmly! Earthshine (the faint illumination of the Moon’s night hemisphere from sunlight SUNLIGHT PEAK OBSERVATORY reflected from the Earth) may be visible on The Astronomy Department at Front Range the waning crescent moon June 7th –11th, Community College operates this observatory. It’s located on the FRCC campus at Shields and on the waxing crescent Moon June and Harmony and has a 14” Celestron C14 14th – 19th.

3 | P a g e observing areas were set up into upper, ASTRONOMY NEWS CORRESPONDENCE middle, and lower fields, each containing Patrick Fitzhorn 50-100 telescopes. It was enjoyable to do a walk about in the evening as everyone This year we should see three comets. TEXAS STAR PARTY 2018 waited for twilight and chat with enthused You can click on the comet name to be Ken Godowski & Charlie Davis amateur astronomers concerning their taken to a site that shows the comet in a equipment. In the daytime, hikes to the simplified sky chart showing the current More than 435 groups attended the Texas old abandoned ranch observatory, a new location of the comet, its current RA and Star Party at the Prude Ranch, near Fort radio telescope which is part of the VLB DEC, and current magnitude. Davis, during 6-13 May. The Ranch is array, and nearby trails in the Davis located in the Davis mountains of west Mountains State Park were all enjoyable • 38P/Stephan-Oterma has an orbital Texas at an elevation of 5040 feet. options. period of 38 years. Perihelion occurs According to the TSP website, activities The Ranch also provides transportation Aug 26, 2018. During the night of include: for tours of the nearby McDonald Nov 8, astrophotographers will have Observatory (elevation 6790 ft). TSP a wonderful opportunity to catch 38P • Tours of nearby McDonald Observatory attendees got a more technical tour than just 8 arcminutes from the Eskimo • Afternoon talks by amateur and the general public including the older 2.7m Nebula (NGC 2392). professional astronomers and Harlan Smith telescope and the new 10m • 21P/Giacobini-Zinner has an orbital telescope makers Hobby-Eberly spectroscopy telescope. period of 6.5 years. Although visible • Prude Ranch activities including Other telescopes with different functions long before and after, it will reach swimming pool, horseback riding, have been built on the surrounding perihelion Sept 10th. It might reach tennis, and hiking slopes. mag 6. • Evening presentations given by It was the dark skies that were the draw. • 46P/Wirtanen should be the best of special guests Very clear views of Omega Centauri, the bunch. It has an orbital period of • Tour nearby mountains, Big Bend southern deep sky objects in Puppis, 5.4 years and will reach perihelion on National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, the , , Lupus, Draco, and Scorpius. Dec 12th of this year. It’s expected to Marfa Lights, and raft trips down the Who knew that the tail of Scorpius was reach mag 3 – well within naked-eye Rio Grande river bejeweled with star clusters? And when visibility. Its distance from Earth will • Amateur Radio links world-wide and the Milky Way rose in the east, it looked be just 11.6 million km. If your live Weather satellite coverage like a glittering storm cloud. Each early astrophotography telescope system • Fellowship with over 500 astronomy morning we took to our sleeping bags with new visions dancing in our brains. The meets the requirements of the enthusiasts including informal talks, flea markets/trading, and astronomy journey to TSP was long, but well worth Planetary Science Institute, you can vendor displays the effort. participate in some citizen science. • Prude Ranch facilities include motel The details are HERE. rooms, family cabins, bunkhouses, RV hookups, and camping with convenient bathhouses. A western- style dining room is available for your meals

Charlie Davis, Jeff Mitchell, and I traveled

to the TSP in an RV, a first for all of us.

Roads to Fort Davis were generally good with the exception of US285 south of Artesia, NM to Pecos, TX due to heavy oil field traffic and potholed road surfaces. The road is best avoided by using a route through the Guadalupe mountains (Carlsbad, Van Horn, Kent). We arrived to hot daytime temperatures of over 90F, but the nights were cool, in the 60s. The

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Reprinted with permission of Ken Graun http://whatsouttonight.com/Resources/2018JanSkyWOT.pdf 5 | P a g e NCAS CALENDAR JUNE 2018

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 27 28 29 29 30 1 2

The Flower Moon Other names are the Hare, Corn NCAS Public Event Planting, & Milk Moon Carter Lake Viewing 9:00pm – 11:00pm 05:34 20:21 05:18 19:33 @ apogee 3 Globe at Night 4 Globe at Night 5 Globe at Night 6 Globe at Night 7 Globe at Night 8 Globe at Night 9 NCAS Meeting Anythink Solar Event 5877 E. 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 6:15 pm 10:00am

FC Museum of Discovery American Astronomical Society Meeting NCAS Public Event NCAS Public Event Otterbox Digital Bobcat Ridge Viewing Jackson Lake Viewing Sheraton Denver Downtown Dome Theater 05:30 20:26 00:24 10:47 8:15pm – 10:45pm 9:00pm – 11:00pm

Globe at Night 10 Globe at Night 11 Globe at Night 12 Globe at Night 13 14 Public Star Night 15 Open House 16 Little Thompson Observatory Stargazer Observatory 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Rocky Mountain Star Stare Colorado Springs Astronomical Society NCAS Public Event NCAS Public Event 05:29 20:30 RMNP Beaver Meadows Starry Meadows Preserve, Gardner CO Devil’s Backbone Viewing 04:05 18:08 8:30pm – 11:30pm 9:00pm – 11:00pm 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

NCAS Private Event SUMMER SOLSTICE Stetson Creek Neighborhood 9:00pm – 10:30pm NCAS Private Event NCAS Public Event NCAS Public Event Cub Scouts Fossil Creek Viewing Loveland Parks Viewing 05:29 20:33 00:07 11:02 9:00pm – 10:30pm 9:00pm – 11:00pm 9:00pm – 11:00pm 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

The Strawberry Moon Other names are the Rose & Hot Moon Denver Astronomical @ perigee Society Mtg 03:55 18:24 DU’s Olin Hall 05:30 20:34 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm @ apogee

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Please send upcoming astronomy events/items/activities to [email protected]

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