The Observer of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers

THE OBSERVER OF THE TWIN CITY AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS

Volume 46, Number 2 February 2021

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1 Editor’s Choice: Image of the Month – M42 & Bernie 2 President’s Note 3 Calendar of Astronomical Events – February 2021 3 New & Renewing Members/Dues Blues/E-Mail List 4 This Month’s Phases of the Moon 4 This Month’s Solar Phenomena 4 Minutes of the January 5 TCAA BoD Meeting 5 Agenda Set for February 6th TCAA Annual Meeting 6 AstroBits – News from Around the TCAA 6 The Central Illinois Photometry Connection 6 Winter Mood 8 Wynken, Blynken and Nod – Eugene Field 9 A Homebuilt Solar Wind Magnetometer – Tim Stone 11 February 2021 with Jeffrey L. Hunt 17 Public Viewing Sessions for 2021 18 TCAA Monthly Club Meetings to Resume in March 19 Unwanted TCAA Assets – FINAL NOTICE! 20 Did You Know? 20 TCAA Treasurer’s Report as of January 28, 2021

The TCAA is an affiliate of the Astronomical League as well as its North Central Region. For more information about the TCAA, be certain to visit the TCAA website at http://www.tcaa.us/

Visit http://www.astroleague.org for additional information about the Astronomical League and its numerous membership benefits, including observing programs. EDITOR’S CHOICE: IMAGE OF THE MONTH – M42 & BERNIE

Also, visit the NCRAL website at This month’s image includes the popular meme of “Find http://ncral.wordpress.com for in- Bernie.” Bernie Sanders has been seen everywhere since formation about our North Central Inauguration Day, and The OBSERVER is no exception. Can Region. Find out about the many you find Bernie elsewhere in this publication? Look carefully. benefits of your membership from If you find him elsewhere in this issue, give a shout out to the this site. editor and win a prize!

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

PRESIDENT’S NOTE The OBSERVER I dedicate this month's President's Note space is the monthly electronic newsletter of to Carl Wenning. He will soon be stepping down as Twin City Amateur Astronomers, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit editor of The OBSERVER after a term of seven years educational organiz-ation of amateur that predates my re-entry into TCAA and culminates astronomers interested in studying with the March 2021 issue. His success as editor of astronomy and sharing their hobby our newsletter is indisputable. In addition to with the public. elevating its format, overseeing its transition from a

physical newsletter to an emailed PDF, and TCAA OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS contributing countless quality features and articles,

President, Director, & Property Manager he received the Astronomical League 2017 Mable Tim Stone 309-531-2401 Sterns Newsletter Award. He would tirelessly gather [email protected] tidbits from around the club and assemble the

“AstroBits” feature every month – a feature I have Vice President & Director/Membership TCAA President Tim Stone Coord. very much enjoyed. His articles on various aspects of Tom Willmitch 309-846-2423 astronomical observation and theory were always informative. I sincerely hope that Carl, [email protected] like me, will continue to be a regular contributor to our newsletter. Treasurer & Director/Registered Agent We have all benefited greatly from the time and talent he generously gave to editing Dave Osenga 309-287-0789 our newsletter. He genuinely enjoys writing and derived a great deal of joy from its [email protected] production, even though, at times, it must have felt like a thankless job. I am personally Assistant Property Manager/ALCor grateful for his acceptance of articles I would submit, even if their quality was sometimes Scott Wade 309-310-2464 [email protected] a matter of question. As a professional writer, I'm sure he swallowed hard more than a few times as he read some of my rambling sentences and tense disagreements. I learned th 5 Director a lot from Carl simply by reading how he wrote, as much as by reading what he wrote. Sunil Chebolu 678-896-5967 [email protected] I’m happy to let you know that Sandullah Epsicokhan, a member, NASA Ambassador, and experienced newsletter editor, has agreed to take over responsibility for our Secretary/Historian/Editor Carl J. Wenning 309-830-4085 newsletter. I’m looking forward to sending my articles to him, and I thank him already for [email protected] his service. I’m sure there will be a process of Carl working with Sandullah to fully transition the responsibility. I look forward to seeing his newsletters receive the same national Technology Coordinator/Assistant Editor Sandullah Epsicokhan 309-828-0227 attention! [email protected] Let me end this note with a reminder that our Annual Banquet is upon us! Our

Webmaster program will be on Zoom this year, starting at 6:00 PM on Saturday, February 6. You should Lee Green 309-454-7349 probably dial in a little early. If you do, we can chat for a while! The zoom link is [email protected] https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88682226910?pwd=ZXBFbHZnUzRUcE4vczF6V3k1YnRwZz09.

AL Observing Club Coordinator I REALLY hope you’re planning to attend. The program is going to be very interesting. I Lisa Wentzel unlisted number hope to see you there! [email protected] Tim Stone The OBSERVER Carl J. Wenning, Editor TCAA President

Submission deadline two days before the end of each month.

MEMBERSHIP DUES

Individual Adult/Family $40 Full-time Student/Senior $25 (Senior status equals ages 60+)

To join, send your name, contact info, and dues payment to Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., Normal, IL 61761-1471.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

CALENDAR OF ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS – FEB 2021 NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS

MORNING PLANETS (2/14): Venus (♀︎) The following individuals have paid dues for new or EVENING PLANETS (2/14): Mercury (☿), Mars (♂︎), Jupiter (♃), renewed memberships as of January 28, 2021. (Others Saturn (♄), Uranus (⛢), and Neptune (♆) who paid after that date will appear in the March 2021 issue of The OBSERVER.)

The following table gives the date and time (24-hour clock) of Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! important astronomical events for this month. All events are given in Central Standard Time. New: Stephen & Jill Mayes

Renewing: Dave Peters, Lee Green Day Time Event

03 13:33 Moon at Perigee: 370127 km Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

04 11:37 LAST QUARTER MOON DUES BLUES 06 02:33 Antares 5.5°S of Moon 06 18:29 Moon at Descending Node If you have received a dues statement email along with this issue of The OBSERVER, please send your dues 08 08 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction to Mr. Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., 11 13:06 NEW MOON Normal, IL 61761-1471. Dues are currently $25 for seniors (60 years of age and over) and $40 regular. 15 08 Mercury 3.8° of Jupiter

18 04:22 Moon at Apogee: 404467 km SUBSCRIBING TO THE TCAA EMAIL LISTSERV 18 16:47 Mars 3.7°N of Moon Welcome to the [email protected] group at Groups.io. 19 12:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON This is a free, easy-to-use group email service set up for 19 23 Venus at Aphelion the TCAA’s communication purposes. You can subscribe, visit your group, read and post messages here: 20 07:15 Aldebaran 5.0°S of Moon https://groups.io/g/tcaa 20 19:44 Moon at Ascending Node The email address for this group is [email protected]. 23 02 Mercury 4.0° of Saturn After you successfully subscribe, please add this email address to your safe sender list in your email client’s 23 19:10 Pollux 3.7°N of Moon contacts, so emails from this list are not classified as junk 24 18:16 Beehive 2.4°S of Moon mail. Once subscribed, you can set your subscription 26 08:04 Regulus 4.6°S of Moon settings here: https://groups.io/g/tcaa/editsub. You can 27 02:17 FULL MOON opt to receive all messages in individual emails, collections

of messages in a digest, a daily summary, or only special This Calendar of Astronomical Events courtesy of Fred Espenak. notices. If you do not wish to belong to this group, you http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/astrocal/astrocal2021cst.html may unsubscribe by sending an email to

[email protected] If you have general questions about the group, email VENING KY AP E S M [email protected]. For questions not answered there, Get the current evening sky contact the moderators of this group (Deva C., Tim S., and map along with a more Carl W.) by emailing [email protected]. detailed celestial events calendar at the following URL: http://www.skymaps.com/

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

THIS MONTH’S PHASES OF THE MOON

Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Thursday, February 4 Thursday, February 11 Friday, February 19 Saturday, February 27

All moon phase dates are Central Time. Moon phases for the 2021 calendar year can be found by clicking here: http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/astrocal/astrocal2021cst.html Images provided by J. K. Howell of the Champaign- Urbana Astronomical Society & used with permission.

THIS MONTH’S SOLAR PHENOMENA

In the table below, you will find times of sunrise and sunset along with rising and setting azimuths (Az), length of the day including the change from the previous day, start and end times of astronomical twilight, the time of solar noon along with the elevation (El) of the midday sun, and solar distance. Data come from https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/bloomington

2021 Sunrise/Sunset Day Length Astronomical Twilight Solar Noon Solar Dist.

Feb Sunrise (Az) Sunset (Az) Length Diff. Start End Time (Elevation) MIL. MILES

1 7:05 AM (112°) 5:14 PM (248°) 10:09:26 +2:10 5:31 AM 6:48 PM 12:09 AM (26.6°) 91.599

11 6:54 AM (108°) 5:26 PM (253°) 10:32:37 +2:25 5:22 AM 6:58 PM 12:10 PM (35.8°) 91.757

21 6:42 AM (103°) 5:37 PM (257°) 10:55:07 +2:33 5:11 AM 7:08 PM 12:09 PM (38.9°) 91.922

MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 5, 2021 TCAA BOD MEETING

The meeting was called to order online using Zoom at 6:29 PM yet another box of TCAA history materials at his house. by President Tim Stone. In attendance were Carl Wenning, These materials will be transferred to SGO to be placed Scott Wade, Tom Willmitch, and Sunil Chebolu. Unable to in the protective tubs that Scott purchased for the club attend were Dave Osenga, Lisa Wentzel, Lee Green, and last autumn. Sandullah Epsicokhan (though Sandullah did login after the • Dave was not present to give the Treasurer’s report, but meeting adjourned). A quorum was present. he had reported earlier in the day via email that our balances are $2,106.59 in checking and $1,816.08 in Officer and chair REPORTS were as follows: savings for a total of $3,974.67. He also noted that many • Tim as president and property manager noted that the people renew their dues each year at the February “imaging stack on the 24” telescope is not working” Annual Meeting and will have to be reminded to do so because he cannot get the computer to connect with the otherwise as we will not be gathering as usual this year. filter wheel assembly; he continues work on resolving the • Scott reported as ALCor that Lisa has recently completed problem. Scott as assistant property manager had two more observing programs: Binocular Variable Star nothing to report with respect to PSO. and Advanced Visual Open Cluster. He has forwarded her • Tom as vice president and member coordinator had observing logs to the appropriate individuals. nothing to report. • There was nothing of note to report from the positions of • Carl as Secretary/Editor/Historian reported that he has technology coordinator and webmaster. Lee Green had been in conversations with Sandullah about transferring reported via email earlier that the club’s website is editorship of the newsletter and that he has discovered functioning as usual.

Vol. 46 No. 1 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers January 2021

Matters of OLD BUSINESS were then addressed: • Carl has agreed to give the April 17th Public Viewing Session talk. It is expected that all PVS talks will be • Tim accepted the Annual Meeting schedule proposed presented “live” this year using the club’s Zoom account earlier by Tom and it will be published in the newsletter. and recruiting attendees through Facebook and email. Carl will produce a program as usual but will need Sessions will be recorded for later playback. speaker bios, images, and abstracts from the • The March BoD meeting has been slated for Tuesday, coordinators. March 2, 2021 at 6:30 PM. • There were no further nominations for the Board of Directors; there are 5 positions and 5 nominees. The The following ANNOUNCEMENTS were made: nominees are the current Board members. Barring • Some 2,000 brochures for the club’s 2021 public viewing further nominations, the vote will be by acclamation. sessions have been printed and delivered by bopi. Carl • The Board unanimously agreed to accept a $75 donation will send them a note of appreciation. from Scott for the 11x80 Swift binoculars and a $100 • Deva Chatrathi has been waylaid in his work on the TCAA donation from Dave for the 5” Celestron telescope with website due to recent difficulties. He will return to trappings identified recently as “unwanted items” in The working on the project as soon as conditions allow. OBSERVER newsletter. • The Winter 2021 issue of the Northern Lights newsletter Matters of NEW BUSINESS were then addressed: has been disseminated and may be retrieved from the NCRAL website. • The Board agreed to offer a $100 honorarium to each of our invited speakers at the Annual Meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 7:18 PM. • Topics for online membership meetings were switched Respectfully submitted, for May and August. Tom will give the May talk; Carl will Carl J. Wenning, Secretary give the August talk. Changes will appear in the next issue of The OBSERVER.

AGENDA SET FOR FEBRUARY 6TH TCAA ANNUAL MEETING

The membership of the TCAA with gather online on Saturday, download it automatically when you start or join your first February 6th, for our Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting Zoom meeting if you don’t have it already. You may also normally consists of a banquet followed by a business manually download the application for your participation meeting and one or more guest speakers. Due to the platform (smart phone, tablet, or computer) by going to pandemic, we will not be holding the banquet this year. The https://zoom.us/download. If you are completely unfamiliar business meeting, however, will be held online and conducted with how Zoom works, you may watch a short video by Carl according to the following schedule: Wenning at https://youtu.be/u4_w41PGMrw.

6:00 - 6:25 PM Open the business meeting If you have not used Zoom before, you will want to log in perhaps 15 minutes early so you can ensure that your video • Call to Order by President Tim Stone and audio are working. After testing, please set your audio to • In Memoriam – Moment of Silence “mute” so as not to interrupt the speakers during the • Annual Report by President Tim Stone meeting. Turn on your audio only as needed. • Annual Report from Treasurer Dave Osenga • Final Call for Nominations to TCAA Board of Directors Here is the link that members will need to access the meeting: • Election of 2019-2020 TCAA Board of Directors https://bit.ly/3ihqKtI • Declaration of official registered agent Passcode: • 557194 Dues payment reminder

6:30 - 7:10 PM Dr. Worden presentation and Q&A A formal program with agenda, names of TCAA, NCRAL, and AL award winners, and speaker bios, images, talk titles and 7:15 - 7:40 PM Awards and recognitions. abstracts will be disseminated though the TCAA listserv

7:45 - 8:25 PM Dr. Sen presentation and Q&A shortly before the meeting. If you have not already signed up with the TCAA email listserv, see page 3 of this newsletter for 8:30 PM Adjournment information about how to do so. Watch your email if you are

Zoom will be used to conduct the meeting. The free Zoom interested in receiving TCAA member notifications. You may application is needed, but the web browser client will also acquire the Annual Meeting program directly from Carl Wenning by emailing him at [email protected]

Vol. 46, No. 1 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers January 2021

ASTROBITS – NEWS FROM AROUND THE TCAA

The TCAA has acquired a commercial copy of Zoom with their certificates and pins at the TCAA’s Annual software for online meeting, so that in the future we can Business meeting on February 6th. use our own software rather than that of other institutions Tim Stone was guest speaker for the January 20th Zoom to which members have access. This acquisition was not meeting of the Rockford Amateur Astronomers. He spoke necessary per se, but the “optics” of using an institutional about amateur radio astronomy. Zoom address for the club’s online meetings later this year Carl Wenning was guest speaker for the January 21st would not be the best. Dave Osenga, Tim Stone, and Carl Zoom colloquium of the ISU Math Department. His talk Wenning are “moderators” of the account. title was Mathematics of the Spheres. List Wentzel completed her fourth and final NCRAL Editor’s Note. The March issue of The OBSERVER will be Seasonal Mini Messier Marathon observing program on my last. The TCAA Board of Directors will meet on March the evening of Monday, January 18th. She completed the 3rd to appoint new officers and chairs. I am taking my leave program “unassisted” or by hand. Congratulations Lisa! having started in this position in 2013. I’ve had an She and other TCAAers who have completed these NCRAL enjoyable time and thank all who have contributed to the observing projects during the past year will be “presented” effort producing this award-winning publication. [cjw]

THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS PHOTOMETRY CONNECTION ~ by Jamey Jenkins ~

Looking back through astronomical history one can be project adopted by Stebbins was the measurement of surprised by the number of Illinoisans that show up having brightness of 107 multiple stars using a visual Pickering made a significant contribution to the science. The shorter list Polarizing Photometer built by the famous optical shop of includes the likes of Clyde Tombaugh, George Ellery Hale, Alvin Clark and Sons. Frank Drake, AAVSO founder William Tyler Olcott, and Edwin Hubble. Hubble though born next door in Missouri, moved to Chicago at nine years of age, from there graduating High School and earning his degrees at the University of Chicago. Another astronomer with an interesting history and a connection to Illinois is Joel Stebbins. Stebbins is credited with the development of the photometric measurement of starlight and various photometry practices used at that time. These practices form the foundation on which present day photometry is based.1 What is photometry? If you are not familiar, photometry is the science of the measurement of light intensity in specified wavelengths. Photometry and spectroscopy have given us most of the important information we have of the universe today. Professional and amateur astronomers these days are both active in these fields, sometimes in collaboration. Figure 1. Polarizing photometer used by Joel Stebbins. Courtesy Michael Svec . Background Road to Electric Photometry Stebbins was born July 30, 1878 in Nebraska. He developed an interest in astronomy at an early age The project went well for several years using the visual constructing a telescope with a paper tube fashioned from photometer until Stebbins’ new bride realized being the wife newsprint. In later years, Joel graduated with a B.S. from the of an astronomer meant many long evenings alone. Shortly University of Nebraska. Then graduate studies were thereafter she began coming to the observatory and acting as continued at Nebraska, the University of Wisconsin, and the recorder, much as Caroline Herschel had done for her brother University of California at Lick Observatory. William. The tediousness of recording hundreds of His first job was astronomy instructor at the University of observations to obtain a few final magnitudes wore thin, and Illinois in Urbana and as Director of the University the Mrs. Stebbins sought a means to speed up the process. Observatory with its 12-inch Brashear refractor. The initial The astronomer remarked that one day it would all be done Copyright © 2021 TCAA 6 All rights reserved.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

with electricity. From that day forward she would repeatedly pieces, illustrated that a smaller cell was more efficient. By ask him, “When are you going to change to electricity?” 1908, Stebbins and Brown were able to measure the The development of a photometer began when Stebbins brightness of 2nd-magnitude stars.2 met another University instructor, Fay Brown. Brown was in The following year, 1909, heralded the adoption of the the Physics Department demonstrating the use of a lamp- Kunz photo-electric cell and the measurement of Algol, an illuminated selenium cell to activate a bell. Of course, the bell eclipsing variable star in the constellation Perseus. Kunz was metaphorically rang in Stebbins’ head that it might be a Swiss physicist who came to Urbana that year and began a possible to use a star to illuminate the cell and then measure research program on the cell. Stebbins’ photo-electrically the current generated. Stebbins and Brown formulated a plan generated light curve yielded new facts about Algol. The to measure the illumination of the Moon throughout the secondary dip in the curve foretold that the eclipsing object lunar month. The project began on June 23, 1907.1 was another star and not a dark body. Slanted portions of the light curve indicated that the hotter star of the binary system heats the cooler star’s face, the so-called “reflection effect”.

Figure 3. Light curve of Algol as published in 1910. Courtesy University of Illinois.

Although Stebbins wasn’t the first to attempt the measurement of astronomical light via electricity, other observers across the Atlantic had conducted experiments, his approach indeed proved the technique’s usefulness. Today’s amateur astronomer has at his disposal the tools and techniques to measure far dimmer objects with millimagnitude precision, thereby producing scientifically accurate light curves of thousands of variable stars and exploring the new and exciting field of exo-planets. Figure 2. Stebbins’ photoelectric photometer circa 1920. Courtesy University of Illinois. References:

Star light proved challenging and only the Moon was at 1) Illinois – Where Astronomical Photometry Grew Up, M. first measurable, therefore a good deal of time was spent Svec & B. Beaman, JAAVSO, Vol. 40, 2012. improving the selenium cell. Cold was discovered to double 2) The Birth of Electronic Astronomy, M. Svec, Sky & sensitivity, so an ice pack was incorporated in the instrument. Telescope, May 1992, pp 496-499. A fortunate accident, breaking the cell into several smaller

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

WINTER MOOD

Editor’s Note: The following article first appeared in the Ohio Not to be ignored, the Moon’s shimmering rays dance across State University Astronomy Club Newsletter during winter the snowy landscape, calling for your attention. quarter 1976. It was my first effort at creative writing while I When Messier cataloged objects years ago, while hunting served as editor. I started the OSUAC newsletter during the comets, little did he realize that tonight he would be guiding autumn of 1974. Carl J. Wenning you to some of the wonders of the Universe. The galactic clusters M36, M37, and M38 in Auriga make you realize how Cold and snowy, winter is perhaps the most maligned lonely our sun must be. The Pleiades, following their season of the year when it comes to observing. The only good appointed paths, are pursued relentlessly by the members of thing some can say about Winter is that it’s followed by Cancer’s Beehive. And there is M42 in all its glory; thin, spring. Surely more can be said for this time of year. nebulous, glowing, and cold - cold beyond imagination. A chill Winter does have its good points. Stepping out to runs through your body. Alas, it’s not M42 that’s cold; it’s you! observe, you can see the brightest of all constellations in The eyepiece fogged by your breath is a cruel reminder winter’s skies. Orion is making his yearly trip across the that it’s cold tonight. The calm has become a frosty wind. heavens only to reappear next year. The Bull, the Twins, all Crying like it too is cold, the wind carries sounds to you from follow in their appointed paths. Like a lantern in the night, the afar. You can hear dogs barking in the distance at some brightest of all stars, Sirius, dominates the celestial showcase. unknown intruder, or is it that they’re cold too? Amidst all this grandeur, the Milky Way, glowing feebly and This evening seems long, very long, but only because it's barely perceptible, is no contest for Sirius, that lighthouse of so cold. The beauty of the situation makes you long to stay, the sky." but your body dictates otherwise. Frosted nose, frozen hands, Back to earth, you notice the calm chill air, and upon it and icy feet are all painful reminders that you hadn't bundled your frosty breath. The snow, crunching loudly underfoot, up quite well enough. It is time to go. tells you that it's without the warmth of life. The night is cold The telescope remains behind as the only reminder that and clear, and you are filled with anticipation. here one human fought the elements but couldn't win. The telescope readied, you set your sights upon the Stepping back indoors to the warmth and comfort of a planets, worlds unlike your own. Each planet, with its glowing fire, you realize that you are colder and more distinctive color and form, fill you with the same wonder that exhausted than you thought. But somehow you know it was Galileo had when he first turned his telescope to the heavens. all well worthwhile.

WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD – A POEM BY EUGENE FIELD (1889)

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night Never afraid are we!" Sailed off in a wooden shoe,— So cried the stars to the fishermen three, Sailed on a river of crystal light Wynken, Into a sea of dew. Blynken, "Where are you going, and what do you wish?" And Nod. The old moon asked the three. "We have come to fish for the herring-fish All night long their nets they threw That live in this beautiful sea; To the stars in the twinkling foam,— Nets of silver and gold have we," Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, Said Wynken, Bringing the fishermen home: Blynken, 'Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed And Nod. As if it could not be; And some folk thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed The old moon laughed and sang a song, Of sailing that beautiful sea; As they rocked in the wooden shoe; But I shall name you the fishermen three: And the wind that sped them all night long Wynken, Ruffled the waves of dew; Blynken, The little stars were the herring-fish And Nod. That lived in the beautiful sea. "Now cast your nets wherever you wish,—

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, And Nod is a little head, And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies Is a wee one's trundle-bed; So shut your eyes while Mother sings Of wonderful sights that be, And you shall see the beautiful things As you rock in the misty sea Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:— Wynken, Blynken, And Nod.

A HOMEBUILT SOLAR WIND MAGNETOMETER ~ BY TIM STONE ~

The instrument is surprisingly simple and easy to build. times weaker than Earth’s but fortunately cancelling it out is Using neodymium magnets holding each other onto a simple. Jeff 3D printed me a stand for my magnet array and microscope slide cover slip and suspended on a single strand following the instructions on the video resulted in an effective of nylon, it is possible to build a magnetometer of astonishing nulling of the powerful magnetic field of our planet. precision. Using a nylon strand in this arrangement is called a The reflected beam shows on a white card, where the “torsion balance.” Properly constructed, torsion balances are deflection can be measured. Measurement can be done among the most sensitive scientific instruments we know how manually with a scale printed onto the card, or with a to construct. The strand of nylon is pulled from a nylon kite computer running a program that watches the position of the string. Fortunately, as a kite-lover, I have some of that laying dot using a webcam. In addition to Rspec, Tom Field has also around the house. The microscope slide cover slip acts as a written a program to monitor and record the position of a reflector for a laser pointer beam. Also, fortunately, I have a laser dot on a screen for just this purpose, and he kindly gave microscope, slides and cover slips in my office. (I do have me a copy of that program. With the placement of a white interests other than astronomy!) Stretching the nylon with card to make the reflected laser dot visible, and a web camera the affixed cover-slip-and-magnets assembly between two and an old laptop with a Chinese keyboard (it belonged to our supports finishes the sensor. With this arrangement, as the Taiwan exchange student), the instrumentation was magnetic field shifts, the sensor rotates to align with it, thus complete. Note: the Chinese keyboard is not required for this deflecting the laser beam by a measurable amount. project to work. My friend, Jeff, designed and 3D printed an enclosure for my instrument, and the sensor was installed in short order. Next, I needed a laser pointer which could run continuously, so a battery operated one was not suitable. After searching a while, I decided to just buy a laser diode and make my own, powered by a wall-wart style power adapter. That required some external electronics to operate correctly; normally, these electronics are built into our laser pointers. I looked online for circuits to drive LED lasers, and found one that looked simple enough. After purchasing the needed components online for a few dollars, Jeff supervised as I constructed the circuit and turned it on. The laser lit and the second component of my magnetometer was complete. The third component was a 4x4 grid of magnets. This grid is positioned near the sensor to precisely cancel out Earth’s magnetic field. Without this nulling array, the sensor is nothing more than a simple compass, always pointing to magnetic north. The solar wind magnetic field is thousands of

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

was not in the driveway, I can now get a nice graph of the solar wind magnetic strength as it varies with time.

This is a plot starting in the 4:00PM hour of January 25. The left side of this graph is high, tailing downward with time. This was the back end of the largest solar wind event I’ve seen

The initial results were hard to understand, so much so since running this instrument. I would have gotten the that I thought the instrument wasn’t even working. The beginning, but it was so powerful it deflected the laser spot sensor wouldn’t stop oscillating back and forth, and there clear off the white card I use as a screen! While that was were large, seemingly unpredictable deflections of the disappointing, with the solar cycle picking back up, I know sensor. After consulting Dr. Carlson, who has been there will be plenty more. This event showed on the NOAA EXTREMELY helpful, and working to understand what was Planetary K Index monitor as a K5 event, not the most going on, I identified some tweaks I needed to implement. powerful by any means, but significant, nonetheless.

The first was to shield the sensor from air movement. While I couldn’t feel any air movement, it turns out even the slightest movement of air is enough to disturb this sensitive sensor. Covering the sensor housing in clear plastic wrap cleaned things up a LOT. The oscillations settled down nicely, albeit slowly. To dampen these oscillations even further, I taped a copper penny, dated 1944 to be exact, to the back of the housing. The interaction of the magnets with the copper induces currents in the copper which oppose the movement of the magnets, helping them reach equilibrium alignment with the solar wind magnetic field much more quickly. The next thing I noticed was the seeming correlation between some of the relatively large deflections and the presence or absence of my car in the driveway. Some experimentation confirmed the correlation, demonstrating to me that the magnetometer is sensitive enough to easily detect the comings and goings of my car from 50 feet away. Some of the As you can see, there’s a considerable amount of craziness turned out to be due to variations in lighting in the painter’s tape involved at this time. To me, this is just a room. As the sun angle lowered in the afternoon, the room prototype. All-in I’ve shelled out about $30. Jeff and I are in would brighten and the computer would try to compensate the process of designing the second version of the sensor for this, sometimes losing the dot entirely. A cardboard cover instrument. With the improvements we plan, I will be able to for the webcam and the screen (not in the picture) solved that calibrate my instrument so I can transform the deflection problem. There are other brief but large deflections I haven’t amount in pixels to magnetic field strength units of measure. identified yet, but my house is a magnetically noisy I hope to run this instrument for years, so I can watch the environment. Vehicles driving by the house, an airplane flying levels of activity as they change throughout the solar cycle. I over, a vacuum cleaner somewhere close, or anything like want to locate the magnetometer in a magnetically quiet that is enough to make the sensor twitch. It is fascinating to place (does anyone know of a place that would be suitable?). watch. I hope to be able to monitor the sun at radio frequencies to I have now run my magnetometer continuously for a few correlate radio bursts to solar wind events, to calculate the days. By introducing corrections for the periods when my car speed of the solar wind. Perhaps, because I’m monitoring in real-time, I can issue alerts to the radio club for potential or

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

occurring magnetic events that could aid (or hinder) amateur question “Why would anyone have their own telescope?” radio at certain frequencies, or to the TCAA to watch for There is value in hands-on science! I’ve learned SO much possible auroral activity. already about the magnetic environment of our planet’s You might ask why anyone would have such an neighborhood. I can’t wait to learn more. As I do, I’m sure I’ll instrument at home. Sure, there are satellites to measure the identify plenty of projects involving my magnetometer. For solar wind magnetic field with a great deal of precision. The now, though, I’m just happy to see a little red dot moving USGS and consortiums of other nations have their own across a white card and to know: the solar wind is doing that! ground-based networks of precision magnetometers. Of course, the answer to the question is the same as to the

FEBRUARY 2021: MARS APPROACHES PLEIADES, DAYTIME CONJUNCTION ~ by Jeffrey L. Hunt ~

At the beginning of morning twilight (5:30 a.m. CST) as and darkness. At mid-month, morning twilight and evening the month opens, the leftovers from winter’s glorious twilight together last a few minutes longer than three hours celestial evenings – Pollux, Castor, and Capella – are low in the for my latitude. west-northwest. Across the sky, several bright stars are scattered. In the west-southwest, Leo, with Regulus, is to the upper left of the Gemini Twins. The Big Dipper, with the Pointer Stars reliably pointing northward, is high above the Lion in the west-northwest. Moving eastward along the ecliptic from Leo, we reach Spica low in the south-southwest. Depending on the morning that you view this early-morning sky, the bright moon is in the region. Topaz-tinted Arcturus is high in the sky, slightly west of the meridian. The broken circle of Corona Borealis may catch your eye to the upper left of the northern sky’s brightest star. Back at the ecliptic, the Scorpion and its claws (Libra) reach toward the great celestial divider from the south-southeast. The critter’s tail and stinger are below the horizon. The Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb, and Altair – sprawls across the eastern sky. Low in the north, circumpolar Cassiopeia is likely behind a terrestrial obstruction. The sun arcs across the sky in a few minutes February 2021: Mars parades eastward through Aries and into Taurus. longer than 10 hours. As the last rays of evening twilight disappear, the magnificent collection of winter stars • February 1: One hour before sunrise, the moon (19.3d, dominates the eastern sky, led by the Pleaides star cluster, 84%) – over 36° in altitude in the west-southwest – is over now high in the sky and slightly east of the meridian. Eight 10° to the right of Gamma Virginis (γ Vir, m = 3.4). Venus, bright stars with familiar names blaze among this Winter Congregation. Famous nebulae and star clusters hide among Jupiter, and Saturn are west of the sun. Venus rises 35 the stellar gems. Mars is the lone naked-eye planet in the minutes before sunrise. Even though its elongation is 13°, region. It is in Aries, in front of a dim starfield. It is moving the planet is very low in the sky at this time. Venus passes toward the Pleiades star cluster. The planet’s brightness Jupiter in several days. It is likely better observed during seems muted compared to the bright stars in the region. the daytime. Begin practicing using your setting circles on Farther west, the Great Square of Pegasus is less than halfway your telescope or your computer-aligned telescope to find up in the sky. Andromeda’s stars point upward from the the brilliant planet during the daytime around the noon highest corner toward Perseus, now at the zenith. Cassiopeia hour. The conjunction gap is 27’ (27 arcminutes). It fits into is nearby. In the north, Deneb is less than a third of the way an eyepiece field of low power. A few days earlier Venus up in the northwest, while the Big Dipper tips up on its handle passes Saturn. Sunrise is nearing 7 a.m. CST. Today the sun in the north-northeast. is in the sky for 10 hours, 3 minutes. Thirty minutes after During the first half of the month, the time of equal sunset, Mercury (m = 1.6) is nearly 6° up in the west- daylight and darkness occurs for the mid-northern latitudes. I southwest. You’ll need some optical assistance to find this divide the 24-hour day into three segments, daylight, twilight,

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

speedy planet at this time. The planet sets 69 minutes track is Rho Arietis (ρ Ari, m = 5.6). This evening, the planet after sunset, but it is fading quickly in brightness. One hour is 1.9° to the lower right of the star. after sunset, Mars (m = 0.5) – 90° east of the sun – is nearly • February 6: One hour before sunrise, the crescent moon 65° in altitude in the south-southwest. It is parading (24.3d, 30%) is over 20° in altitude in the south-southeast, eastward in a dim starfield of Aries. Use a binocular to spot 4.5° to the upper left of Antares (α Sco, m = 1.0). Venus the planet 2.3° to the lower right of Pi Arietis (π Ari, m = passes Saturn today. They rise only 28 minutes before 5.2), 3.3° to the upper right of Sigma Arietis (σ Ari, m = 5.5) sunrise. Venus transits – crosses the meridian – a few and 1.9° to the upper right of Omicron Arietis (ο Ari, m = minutes before 11:30 a.m. At this time, Venus is 0.6° to the 5.8). The stellar trio makes a dim triangle. About 6 hours lower left of Saturn. If you use setting circles, Venus’ after sunset (11 p.m. CST), the moon (20.0d, 77%) is about coordinates are R.A. 20h36m, dec. −19°27’. Depending on 14° up in the east-southeast. Notice Arcturus (α Boo, m = the field of view through the eyepiece, determines −0.1) – 10° up in the east-northeast – is about 30° to the whether both are in the same telescopic. Because Venus left of the lunar orb. is only 12° from the sun, find a spot to block the sun with • February 2: One hour before sunrise, the moon (20.3d, a building or other obstruction. You’ll need to use the 75%) is nearly 40° in altitude above the southwest horizon. same technique to see the close conjunction of Venus and The moon is 4.1° to the upper left of γ Vir. One hour after Jupiter in a few days. One hour after sunset, Mars (m = 0.6) sunset, Mars is about 65° up in the south-southwest. – over 64° in altitude in the south-southwest – is 0.4° to Tonight, it passes 1.8° to the upper right of dim ο Ari. The the upper left of α Ari and 1.4° to the lower right of ρ Ari. planet is 1.8° to the lower right of π Ari and 3.0° to the upper right of σ Ari. As midnight approaches, the moon (21.0d, 66%) is about 8° up in the east-southeast. • February 3: One hour before sunrise, the moon (21.3d, 64%) – nearly 40° up in the south-southwest – is 6.9° to the upper left of Spica (α Vir, m = 1.0). The moon is at perigee (229,989 miles) at 1:03 p.m. CST. One hour after sunset, Mars is nearly 65° in altitude in the south- southwest. It continues to parade through a dim starfield in Aries, near a triangle made by dim stars. The planet is 1.2° to the lower right of π Ari, 1.9° to the upper right of ο Ari, and 2.8° to the upper right of σ Ari. • February 4: One hour before sunrise, the moon (22.3d, 53%) – over 30° up in the south – is 3.0° to the upper right of Zubenelgenubi (α Lib, m = 2.8). The moon is at its Last Quarter phase at 11:37 a.m. CST. One hour after sunset, Mars – marching eastward in Aries – is 0.7° to the lower right of π Ari, 2.1° above ο Ari, and 2.6° to the upper right of σ Ari. Find the planet nearly 65° in altitude above the south-southwestern horizon. February 6: Before sunrise, the waning crescent moon • February 5: One hour before sunrise, the moon (23.3d, appears to the upper left of Antares. 41%) – less than one-third of the way up in the south- • February 7: One hour before sunrise, the crescent moon southwest – is 6.3° to the upper right of Graffias (β Sco, m (25.3d, 20%) – nearly 16° up in the southeast – is over 15° = 2.5). Venus and Saturn rise at Civil Twilight when the sun to the lower left of Antares. One hour after sunset, Mars is 6° below the horizon. Altair (α Aql, m = 0.8) sets at sunset. is nearly 65° up in the south-southwest. Use a binocular to One hour after sunset, Mars is over two-thirds of the way spot it 0.9° to the upper left of π Ari and 0.8° to the lower up in the south-southwest. The planet continues its right of ρ Ari. Delta Arietis (δ Ari, m = 4.3) is 4.8° to the eastward march through Aries in a dim starfield. It is 0.2° upper left of Mars. to the upper right of π Ari, 2.4° to the upper left of ο Ari, • February 8: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, the moon and 2.6° to the upper right of σ Ari. The next star near Mars’ (26.2d, 12%) is about 10° up in the southeast. Mercury is

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

at inferior conjunction at 7:48 a.m. CST. The planet passes 3.6° north of the sun. This morning the planet is already rising 16 minutes before sunrise. One hour after sunset, Mars is over 64° up in the south-southwest. With a binocular find ρ Ari, 0.2° to the upper left of Mars and δ Ari 4.2° to the upper left of the planet. • February 9: Thirty minutes before sunrise, the crescent moon (27.2d, 6%) is over 6° in altitude above the southeast horizon. Saturn is low in the sky (3.3°, SE), but difficult to locate. The planet rises nearly 40 minutes before sunrise. One hour after sunset, Mars continues its parade through Aries, over 64° up in the south-southwest. It is 0.2° above ρ Ari and 3.7° to the lower right of δ Ari. • February 10: For my latitude, this is the date of the equal daylight and darkness, 10 hours, 26 minutes. One hour February 11: Before local noon, carefully look for a close after sunset, Mars is over two-thirds of the way up in the Venus – Jupiter conjunction. sky in the south-southwest. In the starfield, it is 0.8° to the • February 12: Saturn rises 45 minutes before sunrise. One upper left of ρ Ari and 3.1° to the lower right of δ Ari. hour before sunrise, Spica is about one-third of the way up February 11: Today is the Proximate (close) Conjunction of in the south. The constellation Corvus is to the lower right Venus and Jupiter. Such conjunctions occur with a gap of 0.5° of the star, about 15° up above the horizon. If you’ve been or smaller. This one is a challenging conjunction to observe. successful observing the daylight conjunctions of Venus The planets rise only 22 minutes before sunrise, and they are with Jupiter and Saturn, attempt to observe Mercury. only 4° up in the east-southeast when the sun rises. The gap When Venus transits at nearly 11:30 a.m. CST is 0.4° and the planets are only 10° from the sun. With a clear (coordinates: R.A. 21h8m, dec. −17.3°), dim Mercury (m = horizon and exceptional weather, this may be a naked-eye 2.9) is 4.7° to the upper right of Venus. Jupiter is 2.2° to event. It might be viewed better through a telescopic the right of Venus. Mercury is 4.8° to the upper left of eyepiece when the planets are in the south at about 11:30 a.m. CST. The Venusian coordinates are R.A. 21h2m, dec. Jupiter. Fomalhaut (α PsA, m = 1.2) sets at sunset, its −17°56’. The Venus-Jupiter gap is only 2’ larger than at Cosmic Setting. Thirty minutes later, the crescent moon sunrise. As with the Venus – Saturn conjunction that occurred (1.2d, 2%) is less than 5° above the west-southwest a few days ago, find an obstruction to block out the sun. horizon. One hour after sunset. Mars (m = 0.7) is high in the south-southwest, about midway from δ Ari to ρ Ari. Warning: It is dangerous to your telescope • February 13: Jupiter rises at Civil Twilight. One hour before sunrise, Regulus (m = 1.3) and Leo are lower in the western or binocular and your eyesight to attempt sky. The constellation’s brighter star is about 12° up in the to observe astronomical objects when they west. The Lion is tipped toward the horizon. One hour are near the sun. after sunset, the moon (2.2d, 5%) is nearly 11° up in the west-southwest. Mars is higher in the sky, over 64° up in The next Venus – Jupiter conjunction occurs on the morning the southwest. It 2.4° to the upper left of ρ Ari and 1.5° to April 30, 2022, when the planets are 29’ apart, another the lower right δ Ari. proximate conjunction. The moon is at its New phase at 1:06 • February 14: One hour before sunrise, the “W” of p.m. CST. One hour after sunset. Mars is over 64° in altitude Cassiopeia is now in the north-northeast, about 20° above in the south-southwest. It is marching eastward in Aries. the horizon. One hour after sunset, Mars is over two-thirds Tonight, the planet passes 2.8° to the lower left of Epsilon of the way up in the southwest, 1.0° to the lower right of Arietis (ε Ari, m = 4.6). In addition, Mars is 1.3° to the upper δ Ari. The moon (3.2d, 10%) is over 10° above the west- left of ρ Ari and 2.6° to the lower right of δ Ari. southwest horizon. The lunar crescent is in front of the stars of Pisces.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

I have used this summary in previous years when the • February 15: Four bright planets are near each other bright winter stars are at the meridian during evening. Even west of the sun (rising before sunrise), but they are too with cold nights, the stars command our attention and the near the sun for easy observation. Mercury (m = 2.1) is desire for observing. Take a binocular or small telescope 16° west of the sun and Saturn is 21° west. Both planets outside to view winter’s Hertzsprung-Russell collection of rise at nearly the same time, over 50 minutes before stars. The H-R diagram is now a classic diagram to chart and sunrise. Twenty minutes later, they are about 3° above compare stellar properties, based on temperature and the east-southeast horizon, but they are 6.9° apart. luminosity and other interchangeable properties that are related to the main stellar characteristics. Explaining to a Brilliant Venus is 9° W of the sun and Jupiter trails group of beginners that “cool” stars are “red” and “hot” stars Mercury with its 14° elongation. Venus rises at only 18 are “blue” can certainly lead to misconceptions about the minutes before the sun, while Jupiter rises 14 minutes intensity of the colors. Showing them star colors through a earlier. Since the beginning of the month, daylight’s telescope provides clearer meaning to the description, even length increased over 30 minutes, while the noon so that some colors are difficult to distinguish from others altitude increased 4°. The final bright planet – Mars – is through the eyepiece. Use a pair of polarizing filters to reduce over 60° in altitude the southwest an hour after sunset. the brightness of the stars to make the colors easier to see in It parades eastward in Aries. Tonight, it is 0.5° below δ Ari. the diminished intensity of the bright stars on the list. Take The Pleiades is coming into to range for a conjunction the tour of the Winter H-R diagram through an eyepiece: with the Pleiades in 17 evenings (March 4). The cluster’s Spectral Class O: Alnitak – the eastern star in Orion’s belt (ζ brightest star, Alcyone (η Tau, m = 2.8), is 9.8° to the Ori, m = 1.7), 815 light years distant; B: Rigel (β Ori, m = 0.2), upper left of the Red Planet. Watch the gap close. At this 860 l.y.; A: Sirius (α CMa, m = −1.5), 9 l.y.; F: Procyon (α CMi, hour, the moon (4.2d, 17%), among the stars of Cetus, is m = 0.4), 11 l.y.; G: Capella (α Aur, m = 0.1), 40 l.y.; K: Aldebaran (α Tau, m = 0.8), 70 l.y.; M: Betelgeuse (α Ori, m = about one-third of the way up in the west-southwest. 0.4), 500 l.y. As you observe the stars beginning with the O • February 16: One hour before sunrise, the Summer spectral class, which stars show a distinct difference of color Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – dominates the with others on the list? eastern sky. Saturn and dimmer Mercury (m = 1.7) are moving into the morning sky. Mercury rises 57 minutes before sunrise, followed by Saturn a few minutes later. By thirty minutes before sunrise, they are less than 5° up in the east-southeast. Mercury (m = 1.7) is 6.2° to the left of Saturn. Regulus rises at sunset. One hour after sunset, the waxing moon (5.2d, 25%) is nearly halfway up in the southwestern sky. It is 5.2° to the upper right of Alrescha, (α Psc, m = 3.8), “the rope.” Mars is about 20° higher than the moon, as the planet parades eastward in Aries. The planet is 0.4° to the lower left of δ Ari. The gap to the Pleiades continues to close. This evening Mars is 9.3° to the lower right of Alcyone. • February 17: One hour before sunrise, Corona Borealis is high in the south along the meridian and to the upper left of Arcturus. Thirty minutes before sunrise, Saturn and February 2021: The winter stars are in the south during the early evening hours. This region of the sky has half of the 16 Mercury (m = 1.4) continue to nudge into the morning sky. brightest stars visible from mid-northern latitudes. They are less than 5° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon. Mercury is 5.6° to the upper left of Saturn. One For the morning planets in the notes that follow, the hour after sunset, the moon (6.2d, 34%) is 3.1° to the observations are very challenging, require a clear horizon, lower right of Mu Ceti (μ Cet, m = 4.2). Marching exception weather, and considerable persistence. Consider eastward in Aries, Mars is over 10° above the moon. The using a telescope with setting circles or computerized drive. Red Planet is 0.8° to the upper left of δ Ari and 8.7° to the By month’s end the planets are easier to locate with a binocular. lower right of Alcyone, the brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

• February 18: The moon is at apogee (251,299 miles) at and 6.6° to the lower left of Alcyone. Mars is over 11° to 4:37 a.m. CST. One hour before sunrise, Leo is less than the lower right of the slightly gibbous moon. In the one-third of the way up in the west. Thirty minutes later, starfield, the Red Planet is 1.9° to the upper left of δ Ari Saturn and Mercury (m = 1.2) are very low in the east- and 7.6° to the lower right of Alcyone. southeast. Their visibility improves each day but seeing them is a challenging observation. Mercury is 5.1° to the upper left of Saturn. One hour after sunset, the moon (7.2d, 43%) is two-thirds of the way up in the sky above the southwest horizon and 3.8° to the lower left of Mars (m = 0.8). In the starfield Mars is 1.4° to the upper left of δ Ari and 1.5° to the lower left of Zeta Arietis (ζ Ari, m = 4.8). The Red Planet continues to close in on the Pleiades star cluster. The gap is 8.2° from Mars to Alcyone. Mars is to the lower right of the star cluster.

February 19-21: The moon moves through the stars of Taurus.

• February 20: One hour before sunrise, the Big Dipper is over halfway up in the northwest. Its Pointer Stars reliably point toward Polaris. Following the Pointers away from Polaris, we reach Leo. Thirty minutes before sunrise, Saturn is nearly 5° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon. Mercury (m = 0.8) is 4.4° to the upper left of Saturn. There’s a traffic jam of planets west of the sun. February 18: After sunset, the moon is to the lower left of Venus rises 14 minutes before the sun appears. Jupiter’s Mars. interval is 42 minutes. Mercury and Saturn rise at nearly the same time interval, 65 minutes. Since the great • February 19: Saturn rises at Nautical Twilight, one hour conjunction, Jupiter is 7.1° of ecliptic longitude east of before sunrise this morning. At this time the two bright Saturn. The Jovian Giant makes its first appearance stars of Libra (Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali) are before the end of the month. One hour after sunset, the about one third of the way up in the sky, nearly 30 moon (10.2d, 71%) is over 70° in altitude above the minutes west of the meridian. As the sky brightens south-southeast horizon. The lunar orb is 7.9° to the further, Saturn and Mercury (m = 1.0) are over 4° up in upper left of Aldebaran and 9.1° to the right of Zeta Tauri the east-southeast. Mercury is 4.7° to the upper left of (ζ Tau, m = 3.0). At this hour, Mars is over 60° in altitude Saturn. The moon is at its First Quarter phase at 12:47 above the south-southwest horizon. It passes 1.2° to the p.m. CST. One hour after sunset, the moon (8.2d, 52%) is lower right of Tau Arietis (τ Ari, m =5.2). Mars continues nearly 70° in altitude in the south-southwest. It is nearly its approach to the Pleiades star cluster. This evening it is between Aldebaran (α Tau, m = 0.8) and Alcyone, in the 7.1° to the lower right of Alcyone. Pleiades. It is below an imaginary line that extends • February 21: One hour before sunrise, Scorpius between the stars, 7.2° to the upper right of Aldebaran approaches the meridian. Antares is 45 minutes east of

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

the celestial divider that separates the rising stars from • February 23: Thirty minutes before sunrise, find a clear the setting stars. Thirty minutes later, Saturn is 5.0° up in horizon and use a binocular to find Saturn, nearly 6° up in the east-southeast. Mercury (m = 0.7) is 4.2° to the upper the east-southeast. Mercury (m = 0.5) is 4.0° to the left of left of the Ringed Wonder. One hour after sunset, the Saturn. One hour after sunset, the moon (12.2d, 87%) is moon (10.2d, 71%) is about 68° up in the southeast. It is 60° up in the east-southeast. The lunar orb is 3.9° to the 4.4° to the upper left of ζ Tau. On a wider scale, the lunar lower right of Pollux (m = 1.2) and 0.2° to the lower right orb is nearly 17° to the upper left of Betelgeuse. The of Kappa Geminorum (κ Gem, m = 3.6). The star is star’s brightness continues to be highly variable. If you occulted from the southeastern U.S., Mexico, Central use Twitter, follow a twitterbot (Betelgeuse Status, America, and parts of South America. (For more @betelbot) that uses nightly data from the AAVSO. The information see http://www.lunar- account displays a graph of the nightly observations and occultations.com/iota/bstar/0224zc1170.htm.) Farther summarizes the observations. At this time, Mars is over west, Mars moves into Taurus, 5.6° to the lower right of 60° in altitude above the southwest horizon. The planet Alcyone. The planet is over two-thirds of the way up in passes 0.7° to the lower left of 63 Arietis (63 Ari, m = 5.1). the sky above the southwest horizon. The Mars – Alcyone gap is 6.6°. Mars is to the lower right • February 24: Thirty minutes before sunrise, Saturn is 6.0° of the Pleiades star cluster. up in the east-southeast. Mercury (m = 0.4) is 4.1° to the left of Saturn. Jupiter (m = −2.0) is beginning to appear in the morning sky. Being much brighter than Saturn and Mercury, you may have already spotted it nearly at the east-southeast horizon. One hour after sunset, Mars over 60° up in the southwest, is 5.1° to the lower right of the Pleiades star cluster. Farther east, the bright gibbous moon (13.2d, 94%) – in the constellation Cancer – is between Pollux and Regulus. The lunar orb is over 14° to the lower left of Pollux and over 20° to the upper right of Regulus. • February 25: One hour before sunrise, the bright moon (13.7d, 96%) is about 4° above the west-northwest horizon. Thirty minutes later, Saturn is over 6° in altitude in the east-southeast. Use a binocular to find Saturn and Mercury (m = 0.3), 4.3° to the lower left of the Ringed Wonder. Have you observed Jupiter? With a clear horizon it is nearly 3° in altitude, 4.1° to the lower left of Mercury. In the evening, an hour after sunset, the moon (14.2d, 98%) is nearly one-third of the way up in the sky above February 19-21: The moon moves through the stars of the eastern horizon and 9.6° above Regulus. Farther west, Taurus. Mars (m = 0.9) is over 60° up in the southwest, 4.6° below Alcyone, the brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster. • February 22: One hour before sunrise, Sagittarius is • February 26: One hour before sunrise, the moon (14.7d, about 15° up in the southeast, east of Scorpius. Thirty 99%) – over 10° up in the west-northwest – is 5.1° to the minutes later, Saturn is over 5° up in the east-southeast. upper right of Regulus. Thirty minutes later, Saturn is Mercury (m = 0.6) is 4.1° to the upper left of Saturn. One nearly 7° up in the east-southeast. It is 3.1° to the upper hour after sunset, the moon (11.2d, 80%) over 60° up in right of Mercury. At this hour Jupiter is about 3° up, 3.8° the east-southeast – is 0.9° to the lower left of Epsilon to the lower left of Mercury. One hour after sunset, Mars Geminorum (ε Gem, m = 3.0). Mars continues its is 61.0° in altitude above the southwest horizon. The Red approach to the Pleiades. Tonight, Mars – over two-thirds Planet is 4.1° below Alcyone. The moon (15.2d, 100%) is of the way up in the southwest – is 6.1° to the lower right over 15° up in the eastern sky. It is 6.6° to the lower left of Alcyone, the brightest star in the cluster. of Regulus.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

• February 27: The moon reaches its Full Moon phase horizon. The Red Planet is 3.3° to the lower left of (Snow Moon) at 2:17 a.m. CST. One hour before sunrise Alcyone. Three hours after sunset (8:40 p.m. CST), the the bright moon (15.7d, 100%) is over 15° up in the west. moon (17.3d, 95%) – about 12° up in the east – is 5.2° The lunar orb is between Regulus and Denebola (β Leo, above Gamma Virginis (γ Vir, m = 3.4). m = 2.1), but below a line that connects the two stars. The At month’s end, twilight begins nearly 30 minutes earlier moon is nearly 11° to the upper left of Regulus and about than it did when the month began. The bright moon returns 14° to the lower right of Denebola. Thirty minutes before to the sky near Spica. The Scorpion, with its claws, protects its sunrise, Saturn is about 7° up in the east-southeast, and place at the meridian, ready to strike at any rival. Sagittarius 4.9° to the upper right of Mercury (m = 0.2). Jupiter is is to the south-southeast. If you have a clear horizon, you over 3° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon, 3.4° might see the entire Teapot shape. Moving westward along to the lower left of Mercury. One hour after sunset, Mars the ecliptic we pass Spica and end at Regulus with Leo, tipped is over two-thirds of the way up in the southwest, 3.7° to toward the western horizon. The Big Dipper is tilting the lower left of Alcyone and the Pleiades star cluster. downward from about two-thirds of the way up in the Two hours after sunset, the moon (16.3d, 99%) – about northwest. As the Lion is headed toward western horizon, 14° up in the east – is 7.7° to the right of Denebola. Arcturus passed the meridian over an hour ago and it is high • February 28: One hour before sunrise the bright moon in the south-southwest at this hour. The Summer Triangle is (16.7d, 98%) – over 20° in altitude in the west-southwest high in the east. Now that the date of equal daylight and darkness have passed, the Vernal Equinox is near. The sun is – is 8.6° to the lower left of Denebola. A closer look in the sky for nearly 11.25 hours. At the end of evening reveals the star Nu Virginis (ν Vir, m = 4.0), 0.6° to the twilight, the bright Winter Congregation is in the south. upper right of the lunar orb. A lunar occultation is visible Except for Zeta Tauri, Taurus is west of the meridian, along from the western U.S., Mexico, Central America, and with Capella and Rigel. Leo follows winter’s brightest into the parts of South America. (See http://www.lunar- sky. Find it low in the east with the Lion looking upward as the occultations.com/iota/bstar/0228zc1702.htm.) Fifteen Sickle is tilted backwards. The Great Square of Pegasus is low minutes later, Saturn is 5.0° in altitude in the east- in the west. Andromeda reaches upward from the highest southeast. As the sky brightens further, 30 minutes corner, with Cassiopeia nearby about halfway up in the before sunrise, Saturn is over 7° in altitude, 5.4° to the northwest. Deneb is low in the north-northwest. Because of upper right of Mercury. Jupiter is 8.0° to the lower left of its high declination and location during the early evening, the Saturn and 2.9° to the lower left of Mercury. At month’s star appears in the evening and morning skies. The Big Dipper end, Venus continues to rise before the sun, although its is well up on its handle in the northeast. At this location, the elongation is only 6°. In the evening, one hour after Big Dipper indicates that Arcturus’ appearance is a few hours later during the evening. sunset, Mars is over 60° in altitude above the southwest

PUBLIC VIEWING SESSIONS FOR 2021

The schedule for the TCAA’s public viewing sessions is below. All dates are Saturdays. As of now, all events are planned for Sugar Grove Nature Center. On-site events are subject to cancellation if the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In that case, presentations will be made “live” and online using the TCAA’s new Zoom application. Promotion will occur through Facebook.

APRIL 17: STAR CLUSTERS OF THE MILKY WAY (CARL WENNING) 8:00 – 10:00 PM The Milky Way is one of countless stellar islands floating in a cosmic foam of matter, dark matter, and dark energy. Humanity is trying to find out what our galaxy looks like inside and out using ingenious observing methods and increasingly more sensitive equipment. Take a tour of our “cosmic home” to see what we have learned so far.

MAY 15: GALAXIES OF THE SPRING SKY (TIM STONE) 8:30 – 10:30 PM In the spring, our line of sight on the sky looks straight out of our galaxy into the vast depths of space beyond, showcasing thousands of bright galaxies and millions of dim ones. We will tour this neighborhood of the universe, highlighting some of the most beautiful galaxies in the heavens.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

JUNE 12: NAVIGATING WITH STARS (SUNIL CHEBOLU) 9:00 – 11:00 PM For centuries, navigators have relied on stars to identify directions, compute latitude, and even read local time. We will explore these ideas and examine the problem of measuring one’s longitude at sea – a fascinating problem that defeated some of the best minds in the world for many years.

JULY 10: VENUS & MARS TONIGHT (SHARON MACDONALD) 8:30 – 10:30 PM Venus and Mars are alright tonight, but in the coming days Venus will pass Mars as seen in Earth’s evening sky. Venus is an inferior planet whereas Mars is a superior planet. Learn how and why they move as they do. OBSERVING FIRST!

AUGUST 14: OUR AMAZING MOON (CARL WENNING) 8:30 – 10:30 PM The moon has many regular features and changing appearances. Learn about our nearest neighbor in space and observe the 5-day-old moon through a telescope.

SEPTEMBER 11: THE ISS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE (LEE GREEN) 7:30 – 9:30 PM The International Space Station has been orbiting Earth since its launch in 2000. Since that time, millions of Earthlings have seen it course across our morning and evening sky. If you’ve never seen it, learn where, when, and how to do so.

OCTOBER 9: JUPITER & SATURN (MARK & NATAYA BOULWARE) 7:00 – 9:00 PM Jupiter and Saturn offer stark contrasts when compared to the inner planets. We will review how and why they formed in their current locations and their impact on the formation of the rest of the solar system. We will learn how the two greatest planets are similar yet different.

TCAA MONTHLY CLUB MEETINGS TO RESUME IN MARCH

The TCAA Board of Directors agreed at its November To see how Zoom works, follow the link to watch a short meeting to return temporarily to monthly club meetings video by Carl Wenning at https://youtu.be/u4_w41PGMrw. during 2021. Monthly meetings will be continued if the The list of dates, topics, and speakers is as follows: membership shows sufficient interest. The goal of such Mar 18: Time Reckoning: Astronomical Calendars and meetings is to increase benefits of club membership (see Clocks (Sunil Chebolu) TCAA’s Guide #2 – TCAA Membership and Benefits from Apr 15: Vesto M. Slipher and his Contributions to http://tcaa.us/Download/Membership_and_Benefits.pdf for Galactic Astronomy (Tim Stone) details of current benefits), renew friendships, and to build May 20: Solar System Updates: Comets, Asteroids, and camaraderie within the club considering the current COVID- Minor Planets (Tom Willmitch) 19 pandemic. The club’s regular membership meetings were held on Jun 17: Radio Astronomy for Amateurs the third Thursday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM for (Tim Stone) nearly 40 years. We will resume that tradition in March. A trial Jul 15: TCAA Guides run will last until December. (Dave Osenga et al.) The TCAA membership will meet online using Zoom. Aug 19: Evidence for Evolution of the Universe Meetings will consist of a speaker (club members) to be (Carl Wenning) followed with time for Q&A. Time for socializing will be Sep 16: Analog and Digital Computers in Astronomy provided, including the use of breakout rooms where small (Carl Wenning) group discussions with certain themes will take place Oct 21: The Sun and the Amateur Astronomer following the main presentation should that be desired. (Jamey Jenkins) There will be no business meetings as nowadays the Nov 18: How to Plan, Organize, Complete, & Submit Board of Directors, officers, and chairs manage the affairs of an AL Observing Program (Lisa Wentzel) this group. At the end of nine months, the Board will assess Dec 16: TCAA Stories from Days Gone By the situation and determine if meetings will continue. (Tim Stone et al.)

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

UNWANTED TCAA ASSETS – FINAL NOTICE!

The following TCAA-owned equipment has been declared unwanted by the TCAA Board and is available to members. Per TCAA Board policy, we ask members who wish to have any of this equipment to consider making an appropriate donation to the club. Anyone who wants to inquire about or acquire any of this equipment can contact Tim Stone at the email given in The Observer’s masthead on page two. If interested in the remaining items, get your bid in now. TCAA and well as non-TCAA members are now welcome to bid on all the following items:

1. Celestron 6” Newtonian, mount, sundry eyepieces. The mount is not motorized, and at one time had a polar

alignment scope that is missing. The tripod is wood; it seems very solid. This is a complete telescope system which would be an excellent starter set for someone.

3. Oberwerk 10x70 binoculars. In a canvas case. No tripod or mounting bracket. A good, solid tripod might be required to use these high-power binoculars.

2. Meade 5” achromatic refractor. This is the OTA and some eyepieces. No spotting scope, mount, or tripod are included. Eyepieces include 2” 40/28/20 mm Meade Super-Wide Angle 5 Element Plössl, a 1.25” 12.4 mm Meade Super Plössl, a 1.25” 18 mm Meade Super-Wide Angle Plössl, a 1.25” 20mm Meade Super Plössl, and a diagonal. At 27.5 lbs., this is a very heavy piece of equipment. A solid mount with at least 40 lbs. capacity will be required to use this telescope.

Vol. 46, No. 2 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers February 2021

TCAA’s Unwanted Assets Policy Items will be given to the highest bidder in exchange for the indicated donation. It should be noted that donations in On January 6, 2015, the TCAA Board of Directors consideration of such exchanges are not tax-deductible established a policy governing the disposal of unwanted club contributions even though the TCAA is a 501(c)3 non-profit materials. The policy is as follows: Any unwanted assets, so organization. Bidding by TCAA members in good standing deemed by the TCAA Board of Directors, may be offered to the begins December 1 and concludes on December 8, 2020. membership in return for a donation to the club of an amount Bidding for remaining items by non-TCAA members begins not less than a reserve amount determined by the Board. January 1 and concludes January 8, 2021. NB. The Board has The Board will from time to time determine which items, agreed to avoid setting reserve prices for this lot of materials. if any, are to be deemed “unwanted assets.” A reserve price However, the TCAA Board reserves the right to reject bids that is then set for each such item. Arrangements are then made are deemed not in keeping with the worth of the items bid through The OBSERVER to obtain bids for individual items upon. from club members in good standing (i.e., dues current).

DID YOU KNOW?

Are you looking for back issues of The Are you looking for information about Are you looking for the TCAA Guides to OBSERVER? Look no further than here: the history of the TCAA? Find out more amateur astronomy? Visit this page: http://tcaa.us/Observer.aspx here: http://tcaa.us/History.aspx http://tcaa.us/TCAAGuides.aspx

TCAA TREASURER’S REPORT AS OF JANUARY 28, 2021

Checking Account Information

Memo Category Amount BALANCE 12/28/2020 2,041.46 David Peters Dues Received 25.13 Stephen and Jill Mayes Dues Received 40.00 Celestron 5" Scope and Eyepieces Surplus Equipment Sale 100.00 Lee Green Dues Received 24.15 Binoculars and Donation Surplus Equipment Sale 100.00 Electrical Service Waynesville Observatory (49.80) BALANCE 01/28/2021 2,280.94

Checking Account Balance – January 28, 2021 $2,280.94 Savings Account Balance – January 28, 2021 $1,868.09 - Includes $0.01 cents interest as of this date

Total TCAA Funds – January 28, 2021 $4,149.03

All transactions are reconciled with the bank statements as of this date. Respectfully submitted,

Dave Osenga, Treasurer