FirstLight Newsletter of the Alachua Club

29° 39'N, 82° 21'W March 1996

Upcoming Club Meetings and Events

March Club Meeting

Date Tuesday, March 12 topic is titled: "One Dwarf, Two Dwarf, Red Time 7:30 p.m. Dwarf, White Dwarf" He will present Place Auditorium, Doyle Conner observation data and computer modeling Building, 1911 SW 34th St ideas about the bright emissive region on a red Speaker Mr. T. J. Vaccaro, Department of dward star as a result of flourescence f r o m a Astronomy, University of of Florida, will companion white dwarf star. present a talk about the star V471 Tauri. His 0

April Club Meeting

Date Tuesday, April 9th Speaker Dr. Howard L. Cohen , Associate Time 7:30 p.m. Professor,UF Astronomy, and VP of AAC. Place Auditorium, Doyle Conner His topic is "Should the Lord Architect Have Building, 1911 SW 34th St. Left That Space Empty." 0

Upcoming Star Parties Star parties begin at sunset and meet at Bob Jacobs' unless otherwise stated. Address 9617 NW 143 St. (HWY. 241) —1.7 mi. North of Millhopper Rd. (HWY. 232). Look for Hurricane Harbor sign just past brick mailbox on right side of road. Go a few hundred feet up paved driveway to Bob's house. (Do not continue up onto dirt road)

arriving before the goes down as a • Mar. 16 (Sat. Night); rain date Mar. 23. courtesy to the other . Maps will be available at the March 12 AAC meeting. Also on March 16, some AAC members are planning on a camping trip to the Chiefland No date set for April yet, on Thursday, Apr. 4 site; everyone is welcome, but please plan on there is a partial lunar eclipse. it FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 2

March Executive Council — Pamela Mydock

(Tuesday, 6 P.M., March 5, at Shoney's Rest* nt on NW 13th Street)

President John Brandorff conducted a Howard has passed an invitation for AAC club leisurely meeting, over dinner with eight club members to volunteer our time when UF members attending. classes are in session, on Friday evenings from 8:30 to 10, when it is clear. You don't Spring Events: First on the list was a have to bring a scope, just yourself. Come on discussion about Spring Arts Festival, down and greet the public and help out where Astronomy Day at the Oaks Mall on April 20, you can. 10 to 4, and the next Moonlight Walk at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. It was decided ft that due to the lack of sunspot activity this year, the club would decline the invitation to participate in Spring Arts. Everyone feels that we need to concentrate our efforts at the Oaks and Kanapaha this year. More about this at the club meeting, but we will need volunteers to man the table at the Oaks in two shifts, from 10 to 1 and 1 to 4. This is a chance for us to FirstLight is the official, monthly publi- talk to the public about our hobby and show cation of the Alachua Astronomy Club our equipment. There will be no observing in (AAC), Gainesville, Florida. © 1996. All the parking lot. rights reserved. Send all written corres- pondence to: Astronomy for Money: The most important P.O. Box 13744 new development was a request by Gainesville, FL 32604-1744 USA 150 middle school children camping at Camp Send all E-mail messages to Kulaqua. They have offered to make a [email protected]. Send address donation to the club in thanks for our changes to AAC P.6; Box given above. For participation. We decided to use that money membership information^ contact Ryan for the monogram set-up fee, so we can order Loftus, AAC Treasurer, at 3 52^162-1227: AAC shirts. The date is Wednesday, March 20. Come out and help us look for Comet FirstLight Deadline: Submit articles for Hyakutake; the skies are very dark outside of the club newsletter by the third Tuesday High Springs. of each month. Send all material to Pamela Mydock, FirstLight Editor, P. O. Box 42, Brochures and Posters: Howard Cohen will Lochloosa, Florida 32662. (Send all other have the new brochures ready for us to hand correspondence to club's P.O. Box address out at the spring events. He also has a new above.) Submit articles printed in dark type; use a simple font (at least 14 pt. if possible). poster for club members to distribute at Double space between new paragraphs (do schools, libraries, etc. not indent). Better, E-mail articles in plain Public Nights at UF Campus Observatory: ASCII text to [email protected]. FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 3

Minutes: February Meeting — Pamela Mydock

(Tuesday, 7:30 PM, February 13 at Doyle Conner Building, Gainesville)

Treasurer's Report by Ryan Loftus: $355 application to the Oaks Mall for the club for dollars with fourteen members paid for 1996. Astronomy Day, April 20. Howard and John will design some posters. Star Party Report by Bruno Pancorbo: There was no report at the meeting because Misc: Hunter's Crossing McDonalds wants a Bruno was at the Winter Star Party. See his star party. The AAC resource directory needs written report elsewhere in this issue. to be updated. Brasington's has planospheres for $9. Rollo told a UFO story. Bob Jacobs Shirt Samples by John Brandorff: There is plans to attend the NEAR launch at the Cape a one time set up fee converting our logo into (see his written report elsewhere in this a monogram; John brought some samples of newsletter). the quality available locally. No minimum is required. Speaker: Howard Cohen introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Francisco Reyes.

North Central Florida's Club

AAC meets every second Tuesday of e a c h month, at 7:30 p.m., in the Doyle Conner Building, 1911 S.W. 34th Street (at S.W. 20th Avenue), Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, USA. General public and beginning stargazers are invited to all meetings, star parties and club events. No equipment needed. Call an officer (area code 352) for more info or e-mail [email protected].

President John Brandorff Star Parties Bruno Pancorbo Gainesville (375-1043) Gainesville (373-0279)

Vice-President Howard L. Cohen FirstLight Gainesville (376-5833) Editor Pamela Mydock Lochloosa (481-5238) Treasurer Ryan Loftus Alachua (462-1227) Publisher Chuck Broward Secretary Mark Cowan Melrose (475-1014) Gainesville (375-2564)

World Wide Web Home Page at URL http://wyw.asrro.uiLedu/-

Project NEAR Satellite Launch — Robert Jacob

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory launched the first Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission from the Cape. As the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, the goal is to answer fundamental questions about the nature and origin of asteriods and comets in the vincinity of our planet

iursday, February 15,1996, prior to and gave the Planetary Society members Tthe launch of the Project NEAR a detailed account of the planned launch sattelite from the Kennedy Space Center, using a Delta rocket. scheduled for Saturday, the 17th, a Cheng described the "slingshot" method Planetary Society preview meeting was of getting the payload sattelite to the held at the NASA Visitor Center at the region of the Asteroid Belt, by way of Cape. The program entitled "A New Era near-Earth proximity on its second Earth of Discovery is NEAR," featured orbit intersection. The sattelite will reach speakers from N A S A and Johns Hopkins Eros, the target asteroid, at a distance of University. 1.78 A.U. in January of 1999. It will then For NASA, Wesley T. Huntress, go into a differential orbit around Eros for Associate Administrator, Office of Space one year. During that time it will test, Science, gave the attendees background measure, and otherwise probe the surface on the Discovery series of planned and composition of the asteroid with the launches to explore planetary objects. devices on board. This first launch will test out the philosophy of "faster, better, cheaper" in Cheng also commented briefly on the designing future missions on relatively Mars Global Surveyor project with the modest budgets. introduction of a video, showing the design phases of the Mars Lander and Following Mr. Huntress to the podium Rover vehicle. was Dr. Andrew Cheng, NEAR project scientist for the Applied Physics For those interested in accessing updates Laboraroty and featured speaker. The on Project NEAR, the web address is introduction of Dr. Cheng indicated he http://www.jhuapl.edu. The Planetary attended Columbia University before Society web home page address is attaining a doctorate, from Princeton http://planetary.org. University. His talk was well illustrated FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 5 "Orange Blossom Special" Star Party — John Brandorff

On Saturday, February 17, John Brandorff and Dale Neideritter attended the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club (SPAC) star party at Hickory Hill in Brooksville

ecause the night temperature was inside by 10 or 11 PM. Wimps! We had Bexpected to get below freezing, plenty of warm gear on, so we stuck it out Dale and I didn't expect much of a until about 3 AM, when the clouds crowd. So we were pleasantly surprised started to roll in. We spent most of our to see about 20-25 'scopes when we time looking through my C-14, and of a arrived. The site, called Hickory Hill, nearly 18" Dobsonian. A few highlights isn't overly large, at about at half acre or were: the Orion Nebula (of course) — it so. But it has an old frame house looked very impressive in the dob, nice converted into of a clubhouse with about and bright, with lots of detail and just of ten bunkbeds in two rooms, of a library, a hint of color; the Crab Nebula; many of a kitchen, of a sitting room with TV, galaxies, including the Whirlpool and the and bathrooms. Nothing fancy, but it Sombrero (both 'scopes showed dust proved to be of a great place to get in out lanes on both objects); numerous galaxies of the cold, and to visit with club in Leo — including one field of view that members and other participants. They appeared to contain three galaxies. But also had of a small, domed observatory on close examination of some detailed with of a 14.5" reflector on a permanent charts, we discovered that the "third" mount. galaxy was actually of a close grouping of three small galaxies. Although we The skies were very clear and fairly dark. visually could not discern them, we So we had of a lot of fun and took in quite actually had five galaxies in one field! of a few objects, I got to witness my first fully computerized telescope — of a The clouds foiled our hopes of seeing Meade 8" LX200. Just type in Ml 04, hit comet Hale-Bopp, which we hoped enter, then "go to," and BZZZZZ, ten would rise with Sagittarius before the seconds later, look in the eyepiece and Sun. But as of a final treat, while we were there it is! As neat as it was, however, it packing up, we viewed through the dob, did somewhat disturb me. It seemed to just above the Southern horizon, the me that you would become too detached spectacular globular cluster, Omega from the sky. It was almost like looking at Centauri. of a book — just turn to the next page. You lose the thrill of the hunt, and the Needless to say, in spite of the cold, of a intimacy of the constellations. good time was had by all. I look forward to going back next year. Because of the cold (it did get below freezing), most of the observers were FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 6 Key West Winter Star Party — Bruno Pancorbo

While in the Florida Keys, February 14-18, Bruno Pancorbo probably became the first AAC member to see Comet Hyakutake

ecently I had the opportunity to go that low. There was a man selling a Rto the Winter Star Party in the 60mm spotting scope for $650 — Florida Keys. This was my first big star claiming that it had the best optics in the party so I was very surprised to see so world. I had the chance to use that many telescopes and talk to many spotting scope and to tell you the truth I amateur astronomers. The first night I had never seen a scope that small was too tired after driving for 9 hours to perform so good. I ended up buying a do much observing. The next day, I woke pair of T-shirts and a 2" focuser for my up early after the sun's heat was melting reflector. my tent. After a quick shower and As the night approached, I set up my breakfast, I checked out the place for the telescope, ready for those southern first time in the daytime. objects. First I saw Omega Centaurus — Because most people were still sleeping, the best globular cluster — and I looked at the telescopes without Centaurus A, a large oval galaxy with supervision. Most of the telescopes were dust lanes that cut it in two. Later I saw reflectors in dobsonian mounts. There for the first time Eta Carinae, NGC were two 36" and four 25". Of course 3372. It must be a very bright nebula there were some smaller telescopes too, a because even at 5 degrees above the couple of 20" and many 18". The smallest horizon it was very prominent. West of reflector I saw was a 8" that belonged to Eta Carinae was NGC 3532, a very large a lady that had just started observing. The open cluster. The southern-most object I refractors were located in front of the saw was the Jewel Box in Crux. It is a water, were there was a clear view of the star cluster that has four bright stars that southern skies; reflectors are not placed form a cross pattern. there because the wind is sometimes too strong for them. I was surprised to see so The next day I woke up early again. With few Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, but so much time to kill after breakfast, I the few that I saw were ready for decided to collimate my telescope. Later astrophotography. Later I saw the in the afternoon I heard a couple of binocular mounts that I was looking for. lectures: one by Mr. Parker about I compared them to the one I made, and I predicting dust storms on Mars, another was happy to find that my binocular about a peculiar sun "flare," and the last mount was as sturdy as the best I saw. one about the Cassini mission to Saturn. The last one was particularly interesting; Later I went inside the building were the speaker talked about the difference many vendors had set up. They were between the Cassini probe and the selling books, eyepieces, meteorites, T- Voyager probes. She told us how hard it shirts, sun filters, e t c . The prices were not was to plan the orbit of the probe to FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 7

satisfy all the different research interests. eight hours in three days. For example, her research was about ring The last afternoon I heard John Dobson structure and dynamics. For this the talk. He talked about the hard time he had probe needs to pass as close as possible showing telescopes in state parks and to the rings. Another group interested in gave us some advice about how can we magnetic fields wants orbits above the improve our chances to get people poles of the planet, and yet another is interested in astronomy. I also learned interested in Saturn satellites. She that he is very involved in cosmology; he predicted the fight is going to be "nasty." has his own theory about the begirining of That night I used my binoculars in the the universe and he is actively against the new mount. I saw many open clusters Big Bang theory. and some galaxies, and later I concentrated on the Messier objects. That night was clear and a little cold. During that night I saw three comets, Many people had already left and the rest including Hyakutake and also Hale-Bopp were observing only for a while, trying to which was still too close to the sun. conserve some energy for the next day's Hyakutake had no visible tail yet and it trip. I stayed up until 1 AM, but I set my looked like a globular cluster. alarm clock for 5 AM because I wanted to see Jupiter and take another look at The next day, I had the chance to talk to Hale-Bopp. I got up that morning after I Roland Christen, founder and president of heard some people talking about the Astro-Physics. From him, I learned that comet That dawn was the best for seeing making telescopes is not easy; even for a Jupiter. I packed and left at 9 AM. I professional like him. For example, arrived back in Gainesville about 4 PM quality glass is hard to obtain because and went to sleep until the next day. most goes to the camera industry. Another problem with refractors is the For those expecting very dark skies like focuser mechanism. Because it uses a Chiefland or even Watermelon pond, the rack and pinion focuser which needs Winter Star Party might be disappointing, grease, it can sometimes find it's way but for those who want to be around onto hands. Another problem is with the many telescopes of all kinds and sizes diagonal for refractors. Because the and like to talk to other amateur eyepieces are constantly being changed, astronomers, the Key West Winter Star dust eventually collects on the diagonal, Party is a great place. I really had a great decreasing contrast for planet time, and I encourage everybody to go at observation. He said there is a new least once. coating technique that is more scratch resistant so cleaning would be less abrasive.

As the night approached, so did the clouds and later the rain. I was glad it was cloudy because then I didn't feel guilty for going to sleep so early.I had slept only FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 8 Alachua County Astro Winners — Chuck Broward

AAC helped to judge the Alachua County Science Fair competition in February. Some changes were made this year in awarding the Astronomy Club prizes (see below).

Congratulations to Ryan Loftus! We all wish you good luck at the State Science Fair

tudents from Eastside High School, number of problems while trying his SMebane Middle School, and experiment. He will receive a sub- Oakview Middle School captured this scription to Astronomy magazine and year's astronomy awards for projects that membership in AAC. included programming of orbital models, measuring effects of atmosphere on solar Eli Meister of Oakview Middle School energy, experimenting with electronic tried using different electronic circuits to respond to sunlight, and methods of measure solar energy levels. He will measuring the diameter of the Moon. receive a 6 month AAC membership. Eastside student Marcus Ford created a Club judges John Brandorff and Chuck program to calculate and display orbits of Broward took it upon themselves to planets. He will receive a subscription to create Ryan's savings bond award. John Sky and Telescope magazine and a free and Chuck will split the cost of the bond membership in the Alachua Astronomy with the club. This new award was given Club. primarily because Ryan already receives Astronomy magazine. AAC's own Ryan Loftus, a Mebane It is hoped that these students will be at Middle School student, used photo- the March meeting to receive their graphic observation and darkroom work awards and meet other AAC members. to measure the diameter of the Moon. He will receive a $50 Savings Bond, and Let us all welcome this year's winners.. membership in AAC. Seth Turlington, another student at Mebane, constructed a photocell device & to measure energy falling upon the earth's surface at various times of day. His experiment was notable because he demonstrated the ability to solve a FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 9 News Flash: Here Comes Comet Hyakutake — H. Cohen, J. Larkin, J. Sugalski, C. Broward

Some say Comet Hale-Bopp may put on a show early next year. But

newly discovered Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) may become a

fuzzball larger than the full moon

an't wait for Comet Hale-Bopp? Comet Hyakutake will be visible near CWell, here comes Comet Virgo on Saturday, March 16 and by Hyakutake! Last December 30, an March 23 it will pass Arcturus. Its rapid amateur in Japan discovered westward motion will quickly carry it into

a +10th magnitude comet that may the northern circumpolar sky. By March

become an easy naked-eye object during 26 it will be near Ursa Minor, east of the

March and April. Little Dipper's bowl by 5° (about one

"bowl width"). The comet passes above Amateur comet hunter Yuji Hyakutake Polaris on March 28. By April 1 it will used a pair of 25x250 binoculars to make have moved into the northwest sky near the discovery and, incredible as it might Perseus. The April issue of Sky and seem, it was actually the second comet Telescope has a nice article, with orbital discovered by him in December 1995. elements to plug into planetarium

Predictions show Comet Hyakutake may programs. brighten to about magnitude +1 at the end During the last week of March, Comet of March. The comet's path towards the Hyakutake may develop a faint tail about Sun takes it only nine million miles from ten degrees long. Dense dust tails usually the Earth on March 25. FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 10

do not develop until after near passage magnitude as it moves away from the with the Sun. However, observers may Earth. Comet Hyakutake then passes see a distinct, though faint, plasma (gas) about 20 million miles from the Sun on tail as the comet passes almost overhead. May 1. Although Comet Hyakutake may Although comet brightness and tail brighten to magnitude -0.5 at this time, predictions are often wrong, even city glare from the Sun will hide this comet observers may see a fuzzball larger than from view. the width of a full moon! # In April the comet should fade about a

(This article is a compilaton from the sources listed in the byline. Some information for this article was adapted from Roger W. Sinnott's article for Sky & Telescope's World Wide Web SKY Online's Comet Page at http://www.skypub.eom/comets/hyaku2.html#top. Other information is on JPL's Comet Observation Home Page: Comets Currently visible at URL http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/whats_visible.html. Also see Gary Kronk's Comet Page:Current Comets at http://medicine.wustl.edu/~kronkg/1996_B2.html.) FirstLight: Newsletter of the Alachua Astronomy Club Page 11

Predicted Position and Magnitud » for Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) date RA DEC Mag date RA DEC Mas

Mar 8 14 54.36 -20 8.7 5.8 Mar 23 14 48.02 +22 34.8 1.4

Mar 9 14 54.64 -19 34.7 5.6 Mar 24 14 43.67 +36 23.2 1.0

MarlO 14 54.89 -18 55.7 5.4 Mar 25 14 35.12 +53 37.0 0.8

Mar 11 14 55.09 -18 11.2 5.2 Mar 26 14 11.52 +71 48.3 0.7

Mar 12 14 55.25 -17 20.1 5.0 Mar27 10 41.20 +86 6.7 0.9

Mar 13 14 55.36 -16 20.7 4.7 Mar 28 4 5.59 +78 49.1 1.1

Mar 14 14 55.41 -15 11.0 4.5 Mar 29 3 32.52 +70 2.3 1.3

Mar 15 14 55.38 -13 48.5 4.2 Mar 30 3 21.99 +63 31.9 1.6

Mar 16 14 55.27 -12 9.4 4.0 Mar 31 3 16.77 +58 40.0 1.8

Mar 17 14 55.05 -10 8.7 3.7

Mar 18 14 54.70 -7 39.0 3.4 Apr 1 3 13.59 +54 56.3 2.0

Mar 19 14 54.16 -4 29.7 3.0 Apr 2 3 11.39 +52 0.4 2.1

Mar20 14 53.39 -0 24.5 2.7 Apr 3 3 9.73 +49 38.8 2.2

Mar21 14 52.27 +5 1.1 2.3 Apr 4 3 8.39 +47 42.2 2.3

Mar 22 14 50.0 +12 24.0 1.8 Apr5 3 7.24 +46 4.3 2.4

RA = Right Ascension, DEC = Declination, Mag = Magnitude March Astro Calendar (Times EST)

d h m Thu 1 07:00 Julian Date 2,450,144.0 (12:00 UT) Mon 4 09 Mars in conjunction with Sun Tue 5 04:23 Full Moon Wed 6 05:00 Jupiter 1° NW of Eta2 Sagittarius (mag. +5.8) — occultation at 8:50 a.m. •fc. Gai F Tue 12 12:15 Last Quarter Moon C. n S Sun 17 14 Saturn in conjunction with Sun i Tue 19 05:45 New Moon — look for young moon only 12.9h, alt 5°, az. 270°, 40° below Venus) at sunset (18:40 p.m.) •° _• § % ,* Wed 20 03:03 Vernal Equinox (Spring begins in T| O n Jf a Northern Hemisphere) "S5?- * - = 3 r-~. Thu 21 Martian Winter Solstice (Northern Hemisphere of Mars) r < _ Sat 22 19:02 Venus 6° NW of 3.5d Moon 20m after 5! « O __ sunset (look 20 min after sunset) fc " E *+ Tue 26 20:31 First Quarter Moon cr Thu 28 03 Mercury at superior conjunction Sun 31 20 Venus (mag. -4.4) at greatest elongation East (46°) alt 40° at 19:10 (about 20 min. after sunset), phase 52%, diam. 24", look for Pleiades cluster only 2° N