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Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Volume LVII, Number 1 January, 2011

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Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Volume LVII, Number 1 January, 2011 Desert Skies Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Volume LVII, Number 1 January, 2011 Total Lunar Eclipse ♦ Constellation of the month ♦ NEW SPACE EXPLORATION SPECIAL INTEREST ♦ TAAA Astronomy Complex Updates GROUP ♦ Tucson Festival of Books ♦ PLANETARY NEBULAE OF THE MONTH Desert Skies: January, 2011 2 Volume LVII, Number 1 Cover Photo: December’s total lunar eclipse. Imaged by Rik Hill. TAAA Web Page: http://www.tucsonastronomy.org TAAA Phone Number: (520) 792-6414 Office/Position Name Phone E-mail Address President Keith Schlottman 250-1560 [email protected] Vice President Bill Lofquist 297-6653 [email protected] Secretary Luke Scott 749-4867 [email protected] Treasurer Teresa Plymate 883-9113 [email protected] Member-at-Large John Croft [email protected] Member-at-Large John Kalas 620-6502 [email protected] Member-at-Large Michael Turner 743-3437 [email protected] Past President Ken Shaver 762-5094 [email protected] Chief Observer Dr. Mary Turner 743-3437 [email protected] AL Correspondent (ALCor) Paul Anderson 625-5035 [email protected] Community Event Scheduler Mark Meanings 826-2473 [email protected] Volunteer Coordinator Roger Schuelke 404-6724 [email protected] TIMPA Gate Card controller John Kalas 620-6502 [email protected] Chiricahua Astronomy Complex Dir. John Kalas 620-6502 [email protected] Newsletter Editor George Barber [email protected] Web Director Terri Lappin 977-1290 [email protected] Publicist Liz Kalas 620-6502 [email protected] Astro-Imaging SIG Steve Peterson 762-8211 [email protected] Astronomy Fundamentals SIG Robert Gilroy 743-0021 [email protected] Starry Messenger SIG Terri Lappin 977-1290 [email protected] Space Exploration SIG Al Anzaldua 409-5797 [email protected]. Mae Smith 850-7137 Club Apparel Sales [email protected] Merlin Waits 888-4550 Equipment Loan Coordinator Al Dohner 297-7118 [email protected] Librarians Claude & Teresa Plymate 883-9113 [email protected] Grand Canyon Star Party Coordinator Jim O’Connor 546-2961 [email protected] General Information Luke Scott 749-4867 [email protected] Membership in the TAAA must be sent through the TAAA. Do not send money directly to the magazines. To change an individual subscription to the group rate, Annual Fees pay the subscription amount to the TAAA treasurer. Include your Individual membership................................................................. $25.00 magazine renewal notice. Family (includes two adults plus minor children) ....................... $30.00 • Please include a note explaining what you are paying for. Credit Youth under 18 years must join as a family upon parental or guardian acknowledgement of participation in TAAA events. Ask the Treasurer cards are not accepted. Write one check or money order for fees plus for the required form. any options or donations. Make it payable to TAAA and send to: Discounts (one discount allowed, subtract from above rates) Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Seniors (over 60 years) .................................................................. $2.00 PO BOX 41254 Tucson, AZ 85717 College Students, Teachers (K – 12) .............................................. $8.00 Youth under 18 yrs (form required, contact the treasurer) ....... $13.00 Mailing Address or Email Changes - Send to address above or email the Options (add to above membership rates) treasurer. Tucson society of the Astronomical League (TAL) fees ............ $ 7.50 TAAA Mission Statement - The mission of the Tucson Amateur Astron- Sky & Telescope Magazine 1 year (12 issues) ............................ $32.95 omy Association is to provide opportunities for members and the public Astronomy Magazine 1 year (12 issues) ..................................... $34.00 to share the joy and excitement of astronomy through observing, educa- 2 years (24 issues) ................................... $60.00 tion and fun. Postage for New Member Pack ................................................... $ 4.80 Donations are accepted for the following funds: SA-IDA/Light Pollution, Desert Skies Publishing Guidelines - All articles, announcements, news, TIMPA,Education,TAAA Astronomy Complex,and General/Undesignated. etc. must be submitted by the newsletter deadline. Materials received Renewal Information after that date will appear in the next issue. The editor retains all submis- sions unless prior arrangements are made. Submissions should be sub- • Your membership expires as indicated on your mailing label. mitted in Word compatible files via e-mail or on a recordable media.. All • TAAA members may join the Tucson society of the Astronomical material copyright Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association or specific League (TAL) at the time they join or renew. author. No reproduction without permission, all rights reserved. We will not publish slanderous or libelous material! Send submissions to: • Discounted Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine subscriptions George Barber are available to members and can be started or renewed at anytime. TAAA/Desert Skies Editor Rates are given above. Allow 3 months for processing. Subscriptions [email protected] Join our Email Lists on YahooGroups TAAA Forum: http://tinyurl.com/hwoau (general astronomy discussion, posting allowed, 75/month) TAAA Dark Site: http://tinyurl.com/3d8ts9 (discussion of dark site issues, posting allowed) Desert Skies is published monthly by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Post Office Box 41254, Tucson AZ 85717. Volume LVII, Number 1 3 Desert Skies: January, 2011 President’s Message Happy New Year! As usual, another holiday with an astro- nomical connection - our planet has made another orbit So, next time someone asks you about that bright star, around the Sun. There is so much astronomical activity why not invite them to a star party to have a look, instead right here in our own solar system, that it's easy to take it of just explaining it in dry textbook language? They will all for granted. Did you get to view the lunar eclipse in be much more impressed if you can actually show them December? (As I write this, the eclipse has not happened the cloud belts or red spot on Jupiter, the Straight Wall or yet, so hopefully it was clear). Or perhaps you enjoyed mountains on the lunar surface, the slivery crescent of observing the Geminid meteor shower, which gave us Venus, or even a solar flare on the Sun! There are plenty quite a performance again this year. Some of our TAAA of photons to go around. We also have opportunities to members are active asteroid observers. And of course we learn more about the solar system through the club's can't talk about solar system observing without mention- meetings. In March, you'll have an opportunity to hear ing the king of planets, Jupiter, which is brilliant in our Space Exploration SIG Leader Al Anzaldua talk about the evening skies. Have you had any friends or neighbors ask moons of Jupiter and Saturn, followed by LPL's Ari Spinoza about the "really bright star" that they saw? presenting dramatic images of Mars from the HiRISE mis- sion. For many of us, the solar system was our gateway into astronomy. The moon landings, early planetary space- Be sure to check the newsletter, website, and e-mail forum craft missions, even cereal box prizes and Saturday morn- for announcements about activities that you can partici- ing cartoons gave us glimpses of the mysteries that lay so pate in. There's always something going on! Also, don't close and yet so far. Perhaps the solar system provides forget our current auction. The winning bidder will walk the best telescopic views to grab the attention of non- away with an outstanding telescope on an extremely high astronomers. If you've been to a public star party, you quality mount, and the proceeds are going to a very im- already know that the craters on the moon provide a real portant purpose for the club. Oh, by the way, the tele- thrill to the attendees, and Saturn and Jupiter elicit the scope is a fantastic planetary scope! "Oh Wow!" responses that warm our hearts. As fun as it may be to observe those dim, faint galaxies and nebulae, Keith Schlottman it's the solar system objects that can really hook the new- comer. Meeting Information and Calendar of Events TAAA MEETING DATE: Friday, January 7, at the Stew- centers on supernovae as individual objects and as com- ard Observatory Auditorium – Room N210 ponents in the cosmology of our universe. He has been a part of several collaborative efforts to observe supernovae ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS: 6:30 pm and has used the Hubble Space Telescope to view nearby Title: Objects of the Season supernovae. Dr. Matheson also studies gamma ray bursts Speaker: Dr. Mary Turner and how they are related to supernovae. Dr. Turner will give her quarterly update on the best ob- BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING : Wednesday, Janu- jects for observing during the winter and spring season. ary 12, 6:30 pm. The meeting is held at Steward Observa- tory Conference Room N305. GENERAL MEETING: 7:30 pm Title: How Modern Surveys are Changing Our Understand- STAR PARTIES AND EVENTS: ing of Supernovae 01 Jan - TAAA Star Party at CAC Speaker: Dr. Thomas Matheson, NOAO 03 Jan – Astro-Imaging SIG at China Rose 11 Jan - Dunham Elementary Star Party Supernovae
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