Record Turnout for Alex Filippenko On February 7, 2004, the San Jose hits just keep coming. In March our Recorders. His talk will cover the Astronomical Association hosted its speaker will be Don Machholz. Don was history of the Messier Marathon. This best turnout ever with a count of 106 a major force in the SJAA before talk will be on March 6 at 8 p.m. at people who attended to hear Dr. Alexei relocating to the darker skies of Colfax, Houge Park. Filippenko (UC Berkeley) discuss CA. He is a discoverer “Einstein’s Biggest Blunder? The Case of 9 comets that bear Don Machholz to speak – Later in the for Cosmic Antigravity.” He talked for his name and he is one month, this 90 minutes, took questions in a formal of the originators of the March 6 at 8 p.m. at Houge year’s Q/A for 45 minutes and continued Messier Marathon – the Park. Messier discussing various astronomical topics annual attempt to see Marathon will in an informal session for at least the entire Messier list commence at another 45 minutes. in a single night. From 1988 to 2000 he Coe State Park on March 20. More was the Comets Recorder for the details are on page 6 of the February As they say on the radio station, the Association of Lunar and Planetary Ephemeris. SJAA Activities Calendar Then, coming in April, the annual SJAA Jim Van Nuland Auction is on Sunday, April 4. There are more details about the auction in Jim April March Van Nuland’s article on page 3. 6 General meeting, Don Machholz 4 General meeting, SJAA/Bay Area speaks about the Messier Mara- Auction. Doors open at 12 p.m. See Leading all of these activities is the thon. 8 p.m. article on page 3 for more details. board of directors. At the February 11 ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 No Board meeting this month. meeting the following candidates were p.m. 8 ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 reelected: David Smith, Steve Nelson, 12 Houge Park star party. Sunset p.m. Gary Mitchell and Mike Koop. The 6:13 p.m., 56% moon rise 1:10 9 Astronomy class at Houge Park. following directors have an additional a.m. Star party hours: 7 to 10 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Jim Van Nuland on year to serve: Dana Crom, Jim Van 13 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 6:14 Telescopes and Eyepieces. Nuland, Craig and Elana Scull, Bill p.m., 44% moon rise 2:18 a.m. 9 Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:38 O’Shaughnessy and Bob Havner. At the 20 Annual Messier Marathon at p.m., 70% moon rise 1:10 a.m. Star March meeting the new Board will elect Henry Coe State Park. Sunset party hours: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. its officers for one-year terms. Officers 6:20 p.m., New moon. See page 6 10 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:39 are chosen from the Board. Board in the February issue. p.m., 59% moon rise 2:15 a.m. meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. 26 Astronomy class at Houge Park. 17 Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:45 preceding each general meeting. They 7:30 p.m. Dave North on Lunar p.m., 1% moon rise 6:13 a.m. are open to all. Observing. 23 Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:50 26 Houge Park star party. Sunset p.m., 20% moon sets 0:14 a.m. 6:25 p.m., 35% moon sets 0:25 Star party hours: 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. a.m. Star party hours: 7:30 to 24 ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 10:30 p.m. p.m. 27 ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. The Board of Directors meets at 6:30 p.m. preceding each general meeting. All are welcome. 24 hour news and information hotline: (408) 559-1221 Dr. Alexei Filippenko discusses astronomical concepts following his talk at the February http://www.sjaa.net meeting. Jim Van Nuland looks on. Copyright © 2004 San Jose Astronomical Association, Inc. Volume 15 Number 3 Official publication of the San Jose Astronomical Association, March 2004 Mooning Foothill College Lecture Top And Bottom (or Bottom and Top?) Series Dave North Andy Fraknoi Wednesday, March 3 at 7p.m. March is arguably the finest month for mountain ranges on some maps. Dr. James Kaler of the University of evening mooning. The orb is high in the Illinois, will give a non-technical, sky through most of the first quarter The poles actually became newsworthy illustrated talk on: "Extreme Stars: The cycle. The weather is usually a few years back because of Strangest Critters in the Stellar Zoo" in improving. And sometimes the seeing speculation (still unconfirmed) that the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, will be pretty good (this generally there are significant and possibly El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in improves even more in April). usable water deposits in the Los Altos Hills, California. Free and permanently shaded crater floors. open to the public. Parking on campus But you knew that already. costs $2. Some of us were loony enough to try to There will be a very close approach to watch them crash into it – maybe we'd Dr. Kaler, the author of a dozen popular Mars later in the month – an see the plume. books and introductory texts, will occultation for some of our Canadian discuss the strangest stars friends, but just a brush for us. Nope. astronomers have discovered. These include stars as big as the orbit of Oh well. Seems all the good stuff has But there are certainly some handy Jupiter or so small they have "gone been happening somewhere else for the aspects to a polar location. With down the drain", stars with lethal last few years. permanent low light the ground magnetism and stars that whirl so fast temperature flux is So this month I'm less than anywhere they would be a blur. Strangest of all “Especially in the are double star systems, where stars going to expand on else on the Moon. hurl hot material at each other or one an idea I mentioned a large structures, you’ll It's possible to star can eventually kick its neighbor out while back: observing see things almost as if arrange to have partial of the system entirely. the poles. you were flying toward shade with minimal Learn about the mysteries of star birth First, the terminator them in an airplane.” difficulty, making it and death during this rare Northern acts weird at the possible to California appearance by one of the poles. It seems to incorporate cheap best astronomy popularizers in the hardly move at all one day to the next. temperature control. country. Dr. Kaler is the author of such Of course on average it's moving just as And you can run solar cells 24/7. books as "The Greatest Hundred far in longitude as the zippy stuff at the Stars", "The Little Book of Stars", and equator, but this does not translate to But enough theory. What about "Extreme Stars" and appears frequently anywhere near as many kilometers in observing? on Illinois television and radio. displacement. The overwhelming 'extreme' is Consequently, you get a much more foreshortening. You'll be looking at Editor’s Semi-Dark thorough view of any particular feature, everything almost edge on. Combine Matter and get to see it with far less dramatic that with light that only changes slowly change on the next night. and it means you can study shadow ∅ If you are planning to go to effect, silhouettes and elevations more the Mars Center at NASA Ames Another interesting point is one pole or easily than on any other part of the Research Center in Mountain View, the other will generally be tilted away Moon. be advised that all of the ramps from from the Sun, leaving a terminator 101 may be closed due to visible throughout the month. Even at But wait, there's more! You'll note that construction. If so you may want to what seems to be full Moon, you can many craters and structures seem to drive to Moffet Blvd. (which becomes generally find a terminator. have Really Weird Shapes. Castro St. in downtown Mt. View) via Middlefield Rd. or Central Because there's almost always low This is related to the 3D-to-2D effect Expressway and head north. The light, you get some of the sharpest that makes so many planetary nebulae Mars Center is in the inflatable area looks at jagged peaks in profile near have odd shapes – a round crater will just to the right before you get to the the poles, and in fact some of the large look "long," but a typical hexagonal guard station. farside crater rims were named as Continued on next page SJAA EPHEMERIS Page 2 March 2004 Continued from previous page Auction XXIV structure can turn into a square, and long structures can even curve like a Jim Van Nuland hot dog. It's spring, and time for the annual from) SJAA and claim their items. migration of astronomical paraphernalia Seller pays 10% commission, with a Keep an eye out for this effect and from one garage to another! On cap of $50 for any one item. We do not you'll soon find some of your own. Sunday, April 4, 2004, an astronomical handle charge cards. There is no fee Of course my own favorite effect is the auction and swap meet will be for bidder cards.