DOCSLIB.ORG

John Rombi MAS Committee

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
John Rombi MAS Committee Volume 14, Issue 11 November 2009 Inside this issue: President’s Report: John Rombi Secretary‟s Column 2 Presidents Report Observing November 2009 4 Star hopping to M34 and M76 6 Welcome to the November edition of Prime Focus. The One Above Sees All 7 We have reached the end of The International Year of Astronomy!! Well al- Robert Julius Trumpler 9 most. Doing It In The Dark 10 Bryan Gaensler Profile 11 I have a lot of people to thank for the great successes of this year, firstly Roger MAS AssTrollogy 12 Powell. He has been a great support to me, helping to navigate the difficulties Understanding Engineers 13 that such a busy year can bring. The rest of the committee including our Webmaster Chris and PF editor Geoff MAS Committee have worked tirelessly to achieve these successes. And of course there‟s you, the members. Public Observing Nights, School Out- President John Rombi reach etc, all of these events cannot be as successful as they are without your enthusiasm and dedication. Vice President Trevor Rhodes The most recent compliment given to me (about MAS) was from a long time member (15 years) of another prominent Sydney Club. He said that he felt Secretary more at home, learned more and made more friends (at a recent MAS outing) Roger Powell in one evening, than in all the previous years at the other club!! Treasurer What we have at MAS is the true essence of what a club should be: friendship, Tony Law a willingness to share, a passion for our hobby and true feeling of family. Merchandising Officer Stewart Grainger I would also like to thank UWS, through its Provost Prof Ann Cusick, she has cut through the red tape to allow MAS to hold the observing nights this year, Webmaster and she is also a great supporter of our society. Chris Malikoff I would also like to thank Dr Ragbir Bhatal, our patron and Director of The Committee Members Campbelltown Rotary Observatory, for his continued support. Lloyd Wright (Continued on page 2) Stuart Grainger Ivan Fox Observing Dates Patrons Professor Bryan Gaensler (Syd Uni) November January 2010 Doctor Ragbir Bhathal (UWS) 14/11/09 The Forest 09/1/10 Stargard MAS Postal Address 16/11/09 General Meeting 16/1/10 The Forest P.O. Box 17 MINTO NSW 2566 21/11/09 Stargard 181/10 General Meeting 28/11/09 Public Night Web: www.macastro.org.au February 2010 December Prime Focus Editor 12/12/09 Stargard 06/02/10 Stargard Geoff Young 19/12/09 The Forest 13/02/10 The Forest [email protected] 15/02/10 General Meeting Page 2 Volume 14, Issue 11 November 2009 President’s Report: John Rombi Ragbir has (along with Mark Johnston) manned the Uni- This will mean that setup is not necessary until 6.15pm versity telescopes for the Open Nights. at the earliest. Last Month As before we need as many telescopes on the field as possible. I would like to thank Chris Malikoff (our webmaster) and astroimager extraordinaire, for bringing us part 2 of Members private Observing Nights “Imagining with a DSLR”. Imaging can be a daunting effort, with all the computer hardware & software Have unfortunately been hit again by the dreaded cloud. needed. Chris was able to calm the prospective astroi- Better luck next time!! magers in the audience with a very concise, but easy to understand entry point into this very spectacular area of Observing sessions will continue as normal over the Astronomy. Well Done! Christmas/ New Year break. I will be compiling the dates very soon. Patron Facebook MAS have been privileged to have world-renowned Aus- tralian Astronomer, Prof Bryan Gaensler as our speaker Our Webmaster Chris Malikoff introduced another great on a number of occasions over the past two years. innovation recently. Bryan has paid great compliments to MAS on its per- sonal approach and presentation. The greatest compli- MAS is on Facebook!! ment was to you the members, a very challenging and friendly group. With the approx 300 million visitors to Facebook, it was an inevitable move for MAS. After discussions within the committee we decided to formally invite Bryan to take up the position of Patron This site will help with rudimentary information about us, with MAS. Just this week I have received a reply from and direct people to the MAS website. Bryan, Well-done Chris!! “Hi John, Next Year Thank you to you and the MAS for your generous invitation to become co-patron of your society. I After initial discussions with Campbelltown Council a plan to accept, but have only been in the office for couple of weeks ago, it seems we will have access to about 3 hours in the last 3 weeks, and haven't yet the Art Gallery for an event of our choosing. had the chance to write a formal written response! This will hopefully be held in the early part of 2010. Cheers Bryan” More info, when it‟s available. Due to Bryan‟s busy schedule, we will not be able to What’s on? welcome him personally until the second half of next year. There is a brief profile of Bryan on page 11. Keep an eye on our “What‟s on” link of our website for all the latest member information. Public Nights Tonight We‟ve just completed our eighth public night of this year (October 24th). Approximately 50 members of the public Dr Tim Robishaw (Syd Uni) will be presenting "Magnetic turned up to a clear sky!! This was very unusual as the Fields Near and Far" weather had been terrible all week, and even up until lunchtime it was raining!! The clouds stayed away until --- ooo --- 9.30pm, when a clear sky turned to heavy overcast. For once, it went our way!! As usual, the standard of pres- Since this is the last Prime Focus of 2009, on behalf of entation by all the astronomers was second to none. my family, I would like to wish you all a very Holy & Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2010!! Our next public night Until next year, This will be held on Saturday November 28th and due to daylight saving, sunset is not until 7.30pm. Clear Skies, John Rombi Page 3 Volume 14, Issue 11 November 2009 Secretary’s Column: Roger Powell Last month I wrote about the controversial invitation by ment, as well as for manually pointing out particular sky Campbelltown Library of an astroLoGer to 'celebrate the objects. International Year of Astronomy' (which they acknowl- edged as a goof). Since then we have been in contact However, they are classed by NSW Police as with the Mayor of Campbelltown (Cr. Rule), who apolo- 'dangerous implements' with legal procedures to be fol- gised to MAS (although the event did still go ahead). lowed by astronomers who wish to purchase or import The Mayor offered our Society the full backing of Coun- one and severe penalties if you don't comply. It looks cil's resources to hold a big event sometime in 2010, complex and it can be, so make sure you check out our which MAS has accepted. The committee is in the early Laser Pointer page on the web site and if in doubt – ask. stages of planning this and John will tell you more about Don't forget, once you own a laser pointer, you should it, as details become available. So an issue that caused register it with the Society. This is voluntary but may a lot of comment and criticism from our members has save you from problems later. Make sure you have ended on a happy note and due credit to Cr. Rule for looked at the Laser Pointer page on the Macastro web- that. site – it's been updated. Whilst on the subject of Campbelltown Council, Cr. The general meeting on 16th November will be the last Bourke made local news recently with a call for Council for the year, so make sure you come along and hear to tighten up on light pollution measures. She has our guest speaker Tim Robishaw (Sydney University) talking support in this, so let's hope Council can slow the relent- about his research work on cosmological magnetic less light pollution tide. Recent moves to give the night fields, which will no doubt build on the fascinating mate- sky a heritage listing may also help reduce this astro- rial that Professor Bryan Gaensler has shown us in his nomical scourge that is enveloping Macarthur. last two talks. Our Treasurer and Membership Officer, Tony Law, re- There will be no meeting in December, so the next gen- cently reported that membership of the Society has eral meeting will be on Monday 18th January and the grown to 88. Looking back to only twelve months ago, next Prime Focus magazine will be in January as well. when we had just 66 members , that represents a 33% surge. I am fairly certain 88 is the highest membership We have a new membership form, designed by Chris the Society has ever had. Malikoff, which is available on line, so if you have any of the old forms please dispose of them and download the So now is the time to consolidate and make sure all new new one. The new form is interactive, which means it members are welcomed and given all the advice they can be filled out online and e-mailed direct to us; or it need to progress as amateur astronomers. A main aim can be downloaded and printed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Desert Sky Observer
    Desert Sky Observer Volume 32 Antelope Valley Astronomy Club Newsletter February 2012 Up-Coming Events February 10: Club Meeting* February 11: Moon Walk @ Prime Desert Woodlands February 13: Executive Board Meeting @ Don’s house February 18: Telescope Night and Star Party @ Devil's Punchbowl * Monthly meetings are held at the S.A.G.E. Planetarium on the Cactus School campus in Palmdale, the second Friday of each month. The meeting location is at the northeast corner of Avenue R and 20th Street East. Meetings start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. Please note that food and drink are not allowed in the planetarium President Don Bryden Well I gave a star party and no one showed up! Not that I can blame them – it was raining and windy and cold – it even hailed! Still I dragged out the scope and got it ready to go. Briefly, between the clouds I looked at Jupiter and it was quite a treat. The Galilean moons were all tight to the planet either coming from just in front or behind. It gave a bejeweled look like a large ruby surrounded by four small diamonds. Even with the winds and clouds the sky was surprisingly steady and I went as high as 260x with ease, exposing the shadow of Europa transiting the planet. But soon more clouds came and inside we had a nice fire so I put the Artist's rendering DVD “400 Years of the Telescope” on and settled in for the night. My daughter had a few friends over after a skating party that afternoon and later when I went out for one more look they came out to see what was up.
    [Show full text]
  • The Observer's Handbook for 1929
    The O bserver’s H andbook FOR 1929 PUBLISHED BY The Royal A stronomical Society of Canada E d ited by C. A. CHANT TWENTY-FIRST YEAR OF PUBLICATION TORONTO 198 College Street Printed for the Society 1929 CALENDAR The O bserver’s H andbook FOR 1929 PUBLISHED BY The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada TORONTO 198 C ollege Street Prin ted for the Society 1929 CONTENTS Preface ------- 3 Anniversaries and Festivals - 3 Symbols and Abbreviations - 4 Solar and Sidereal Time - 5 Ephemeris of the Sun - - - 6 Occultations of Fixed Stars by the Moon - 8 Times of Sunrise and Sunset - 9 Planets for the Year ------ 22 Eclipses in 1929 - - - - 26 The Sky and Astronomical Phenomena for each Month 28 Phenomena of Jupiter’s Satellites - 52 Meteors and Shooting Stars - - - 54 Elements of the Solar System - 55 Satellites of the Solar System - 56 Double Stars, with a short list - 57 Variable Stars, with a short list 59 Distances of the Stars - 61 The Brightest Stars, their magnitudes, types, proper motions, distances and radial velocities - 63 Astronomical Constants - 71 Index - - - - - - - 72 PREFACE It may be stated that four circular star-maps, 9 inches in diameter, roughly for the four seasons, may be obtained from the Director of University Extension, University of Toronto, for one cent each; also a set of 12 circular maps, 5 inches in diameter, with brief explanation, is supplied by Popular Astronomy, Northfield, Minn., for 15 cents. Besides these may be mentioned Young’s Uranography, containing four maps with R.A. and Decl. circles and excellent descriptions of the constellations, price 72 cents; Norton's Star Atlas and Telescopic Handbook (10s.
    [Show full text]
  • A Basic Requirement for Studying the Heavens Is Determining Where In
    Abasic requirement for studying the heavens is determining where in the sky things are. To specify sky positions, astronomers have developed several coordinate systems. Each uses a coordinate grid projected on to the celestial sphere, in analogy to the geographic coordinate system used on the surface of the Earth. The coordinate systems differ only in their choice of the fundamental plane, which divides the sky into two equal hemispheres along a great circle (the fundamental plane of the geographic system is the Earth's equator) . Each coordinate system is named for its choice of fundamental plane. The equatorial coordinate system is probably the most widely used celestial coordinate system. It is also the one most closely related to the geographic coordinate system, because they use the same fun­ damental plane and the same poles. The projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere is called the celestial equator. Similarly, projecting the geographic poles on to the celest ial sphere defines the north and south celestial poles. However, there is an important difference between the equatorial and geographic coordinate systems: the geographic system is fixed to the Earth; it rotates as the Earth does . The equatorial system is fixed to the stars, so it appears to rotate across the sky with the stars, but of course it's really the Earth rotating under the fixed sky. The latitudinal (latitude-like) angle of the equatorial system is called declination (Dec for short) . It measures the angle of an object above or below the celestial equator. The longitud inal angle is called the right ascension (RA for short).
    [Show full text]
  • Photometry Request-B Persei.Pdf
    Will the radio source b Persei be eclipsed? R. T. Zavala1 & J. J. Sanborn2 December 14, 2012 The ellipsoidal variable star b Persei (HR1324, HD26961, V=4.6) consists of a non-eclipsing close binary (A-B) with a 1.5 day orbital period within a hierarchical triple system (AB-C) with a 701 day orbit (Hill et al. 1976). As with other close binary systems (e.g. β Per) b Per exhibits flares of non- thermal radio emission (Hjellming & Wade 1973). As noted by Hill et al. (1976) the evolutionary nature of the close binary in b Per is uncertain. It may already be a mass-transferring Algol binary, or it may be a precursor to the mass-transfer stage. The absence of eclipses in the close binary and b Per’s status as a single-lined spectroscopic binary limit our knowledge of this stellar radio source. Our observations using the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) resolved the AB-C components for the first time. The triple system orbit is nearly edge-on with an inclination of approximately 90 degrees (Fig. 1). This suggests the possibility of observing eclipses of the non- eclipsing (i ~ 40 degrees; Hill et al. 1976) close binary and the third star. The third star may eclipse both components of the close binary depending on the close binary orbital phase. Eclipses are important as they allow us to add lightcurve modeling to our arsenal of techniques for investigating the evolutionary state of the close binary components. The reality of our edge-on orbit for b Per C is supported by Hill et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Stars and Their Spectra: an Introduction to the Spectral Sequence Second Edition James B
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-89954-3 - Stars and Their Spectra: An Introduction to the Spectral Sequence Second Edition James B. Kaler Index More information Star index Stars are arranged by the Latin genitive of their constellation of residence, with other star names interspersed alphabetically. Within a constellation, Bayer Greek letters are given first, followed by Roman letters, Flamsteed numbers, variable stars arranged in traditional order (see Section 1.11), and then other names that take on genitive form. Stellar spectra are indicated by an asterisk. The best-known proper names have priority over their Greek-letter names. Spectra of the Sun and of nebulae are included as well. Abell 21 nucleus, see a Aurigae, see Capella Abell 78 nucleus, 327* ε Aurigae, 178, 186 Achernar, 9, 243, 264, 274 z Aurigae, 177, 186 Acrux, see Alpha Crucis Z Aurigae, 186, 269* Adhara, see Epsilon Canis Majoris AB Aurigae, 255 Albireo, 26 Alcor, 26, 177, 241, 243, 272* Barnard’s Star, 129–130, 131 Aldebaran, 9, 27, 80*, 163, 165 Betelgeuse, 2, 9, 16, 18, 20, 73, 74*, 79, Algol, 20, 26, 176–177, 271*, 333, 366 80*, 88, 104–105, 106*, 110*, 113, Altair, 9, 236, 241, 250 115, 118, 122, 187, 216, 264 a Andromedae, 273, 273* image of, 114 b Andromedae, 164 BDþ284211, 285* g Andromedae, 26 Bl 253* u Andromedae A, 218* a Boo¨tis, see Arcturus u Andromedae B, 109* g Boo¨tis, 243 Z Andromedae, 337 Z Boo¨tis, 185 Antares, 10, 73, 104–105, 113, 115, 118, l Boo¨tis, 254, 280, 314 122, 174* s Boo¨tis, 218* 53 Aquarii A, 195 53 Aquarii B, 195 T Camelopardalis,
    [Show full text]
  • Stellar Chromospheric Activity and Age Relation from Open Clusters in the LAMOST Survey
    Publications 12-12-2019 Stellar Chromospheric Activity and Age Relation from Open Clusters in the LAMOST Survey Jiajun Zhang University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Terry Oswalt Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, [email protected] Jingkun Zhao University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangsong Fang National Astronomical Observatories Gang Zhao Chinese Academy of Sciences, See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/publication Part of the Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy Commons Scholarly Commons Citation Zhang, J., Oswalt, T., Zhao, J., Fang, X., Zhao, G., Liang, X., Ye, X., & Zhong, J. (2019). Stellar Chromospheric Activity and Age Relation from Open Clusters in the LAMOST Survey. The Astrophysical Journal, 887(1). Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/publication/1383 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Jiajun Zhang, Terry Oswalt, Jingkun Zhao, Xiangsong Fang, Gang Zhao, Xilong Liang, Xianhao Ye, and Jing Zhong This article is available at Scholarly Commons: https://commons.erau.edu/publication/1383 Draft version October 1, 2019 Typeset using LATEX default style in AASTeX62 Stellar chromospheric activity and age relation from open clusters in the LAMOST Survey Jiajun Zhang,1, 2 Jingkun Zhao,1 Terry D. Oswalt,3 Xiangsong Fang,4, 5 Gang Zhao,1, 2 Xilong Liang,1, 2 Xianhao Ye,1, 2 and Jing Zhong6 1Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlas Menor Was Objects to Slowly Change Over Time
    C h a r t Atlas Charts s O b by j Objects e c t Constellation s Objects by Number 64 Objects by Type 71 Objects by Name 76 Messier Objects 78 Caldwell Objects 81 Orion & Stars by Name 84 Lepus, circa , Brightest Stars 86 1720 , Closest Stars 87 Mythology 88 Bimonthly Sky Charts 92 Meteor Showers 105 Sun, Moon and Planets 106 Observing Considerations 113 Expanded Glossary 115 Th e 88 Constellations, plus 126 Chart Reference BACK PAGE Introduction he night sky was charted by western civilization a few thou - N 1,370 deep sky objects and 360 double stars (two stars—one sands years ago to bring order to the random splatter of stars, often orbits the other) plotted with observing information for T and in the hopes, as a piece of the puzzle, to help “understand” every object. the forces of nature. The stars and their constellations were imbued with N Inclusion of many “famous” celestial objects, even though the beliefs of those times, which have become mythology. they are beyond the reach of a 6 to 8-inch diameter telescope. The oldest known celestial atlas is in the book, Almagest , by N Expanded glossary to define and/or explain terms and Claudius Ptolemy, a Greco-Egyptian with Roman citizenship who lived concepts. in Alexandria from 90 to 160 AD. The Almagest is the earliest surviving astronomical treatise—a 600-page tome. The star charts are in tabular N Black stars on a white background, a preferred format for star form, by constellation, and the locations of the stars are described by charts.
    [Show full text]
  • B Persei, a Fundamental Star Among the Radiostars
    242 B PERSEI, A FUNDAMENTAL STAR AMONG THE RADIOSTARS Suzanne DEBARBAT Observatoire de Paris, DANOF/URA 1125 61 avenue de 1'Observatoire 75014 Paris ABSTRACT. Optical fluctuations of the radiostar (3 Persei are seen from 13 campaigns performed with the astrolabe located at the Paris Observatory. 1. INTRODUCTION Among the radiostars, fSPersei (Algol) - a fundamental star - was chosen by radioastronomers as a zero reference for right ascensions in radioastrometry. Since 1975 this fundamental star has been included in the observing programme performed by the "Astrolabe et systemes de re"fdrence" group in charge of the instrument at the Paris Observatory. The eight first campaigns published have been presented at the IAU Colloquium n° 100 (Belgrade 1987). The average of the mean square errors given were 0.004s in right ascension and 0.13" in declination, according to the FK4 and the constants in use at that time. 2. DETERMINATIONS AND ERRORS There are now thirteen campaigns available from 1975/76 to 1987/88 and they have been reduced in the FK5 system with the new fundamental constants according to the formulas established by Chollet (1984). Due to the fact that the group and the internal smoothing corrections (according to De"barbat et Guinot, 1970) are not yet available in the case of the FK5, the reduction have been performed for both FK4 and FK5. As an example of residuals, for the zenith distance, to which accuracy this quantity is obtainable when 12 transits (at east and at west) are observed, Table I gives the values for the 1983/1984 campaign (J 2000, FK4 and FK5).
    [Show full text]
  • Making a Sky Atlas
    Appendix A Making a Sky Atlas Although a number of very advanced sky atlases are now available in print, none is likely to be ideal for any given task. Published atlases will probably have too few or too many guide stars, too few or too many deep-sky objects plotted in them, wrong- size charts, etc. I found that with MegaStar I could design and make, specifically for my survey, a “just right” personalized atlas. My atlas consists of 108 charts, each about twenty square degrees in size, with guide stars down to magnitude 8.9. I used only the northernmost 78 charts, since I observed the sky only down to –35°. On the charts I plotted only the objects I wanted to observe. In addition I made enlargements of small, overcrowded areas (“quad charts”) as well as separate large-scale charts for the Virgo Galaxy Cluster, the latter with guide stars down to magnitude 11.4. I put the charts in plastic sheet protectors in a three-ring binder, taking them out and plac- ing them on my telescope mount’s clipboard as needed. To find an object I would use the 35 mm finder (except in the Virgo Cluster, where I used the 60 mm as the finder) to point the ensemble of telescopes at the indicated spot among the guide stars. If the object was not seen in the 35 mm, as it usually was not, I would then look in the larger telescopes. If the object was not immediately visible even in the primary telescope – a not uncommon occur- rence due to inexact initial pointing – I would then scan around for it.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflectionsreflections the Newsletter of the Popular Astronomy Club February 2020 President’S Corner FEBRUARY 2020 Mercury’S Disk
    Affiliated with ReflectionsReflections The Newsletter of the Popular Astronomy Club February 2020 President’s Corner FEBRUARY 2020 Mercury’s disk. A bit higher in the sky, the planet Neptune is very much dim- Welcome to another edition of mer at magnitude 8. Binoculars or a “Reflections”, the telescope will be needed to see it. Final- universe’s best as- ly, follow the ecliptic up past Venus to tronomy newsletter. find Uranus, which at magnitude 5.8 is easier to find, but you will still want to Page Topic This issue has some 1-2 Presidents Corner great articles about use a pair of binoculars. A telescope will 3 Announcements/ astronomical events reveal Uranus’ diminutive pale blue disk. Info Alan Sheidler occurring during the 4-7 Contributions month of February. For starters, this If you happen to be an early riser, Feb- 8 Paul Castle ruary’s morning sky has some treats in Observatory Prog- month will be a great one for those of ect us who love to observe planets. During store for you. Saturn, Jupiter and Mars 9 NCRAL Messier the first half of the month, right after will be visible before sunrise. February’s Marathon/ 2020 sunset, the planet Mercury will be big event will be the occultation of Mars Sky Guide/ th about as high in the sky as it will be and by the moon on the 18 . If you have 2020 an ideal object for your telescope. never seen an occultation, you should Celestial Calendar put this on your calendar. Binoculars 10 Astronomy in Print While you are observing Mercury 11 First Light by (closest to the horizon), three other will help you see Mars as the moon ap- David Levy planets will also be visible, strung out proaches, but if you have a telescope, I 12 Upcoming Events like pearls on the ecliptic: Neptune, recommend you get it ready for this 13 Sign up Report Venus and Uranus.
    [Show full text]
  • Binary Studies with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer
    ISSN 1845–8319 BINARY STUDIES WITH THE NAVY PRECISION OPTICAL INTERFEROMETER C. A. HUMMEL1, R. T. ZAVALA2 and J. SANBORN3 1European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany 2U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, 10391 W. Naval Obs. Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA 3Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA Abstract. We present recent results from observations of binary and multiple systems made with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) on ζ and σ Orionis A, ξ Tauri, HR 6493, and b Persei. We explain how the orbital modeling is performed and show that even triple systems can be constrained with the data. Key words: interferometry - binaries 1. Introduction Observations of binary stars are the bread-and-butter for optical interferom- eters. An easy exploit for the unrivaled angular resolution of long baseline interferometers, the measurement of the orbits of double-lined spectroscopic binaries affords the determination of fundamental parameters of stars as well as their distance from Earth. Interferometry thus extends the reach of using spectroscopic binaries to non-eclipsing pairs, as a special but unlikely geom- etry for seeing eclipses, which also allow the determination of high-precision stellar masses, is no longer required. After about a decade of developing the technique of long baseline optical interferometers, i.e. those combining independent telescopes observing in the visual or near-infrared bands with baselines in between them ranging from a few meters to over a hundred, three major facilities are now available for regular scientific observations, CHARA on Mt Wilson, California, NPOI on Anderson Mesa, Arizona, and VLTI on Cerro Paranal, Chile.
    [Show full text]
  • The Desert Sky Observer
    Desert Sky Observer Volume 31 Antelope Valley Astronomy Club Newsletter January 2011 Up-Coming Events January 8: Star Party @ Vasquez Rocks January 14: Club Meeting* January 17: Board meeting @ Don’s house * Monthly meetings are held at the S.A.G.E. Planetarium on the Cactus School campus in Palmdale, the second Friday of each month. The meeting location is at the northeast corner of Avenue R and 20th Street East. Meetings start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. Please note that food and drink are not allowed in the planetarium President Don Bryden Happy New Year! I hope this reaches you before the star party on the eighth. This is our Dark Sky Star Party for January and it’s going to be a joint effort with the Local Group – the Astro club from Santa Clarita. We have a unique opportunity to observe from Vasquez Rocks State Park – the site of many classic TV shows and movies – my personal favorite is “Arena”, the Star Trek episode featuring the Gorn. Maybe we can show up early and try to construct a bamboo and gunpowder cannon (though I’d just settle for finding some big diamonds lying around on the ground). There are many other great events planned for 2011 including the annual Messier Marathon, RTMC (over Memorial weekend this year!), and of course our summertime weekends at Mt. Pinos. I’m hoping to debut the club’s new 13” truss dob at the Messier Marathon as well. This scope, a former Coulter dobsonian that was donated to the club, has been refigured and transformed into a very portable, very easy to use visual scope.
    [Show full text]