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RCA INFORMATION FAIR in This Issue: Monday, January 17Th! 1 The Rosette Gazette Volume 17,, IssueIssue 1 Newsletter of the Rose CityCity AstronomersAstronomers January, 2005 All are welcome at the annual RCA INFORMATION FAIR In This Issue: Monday, January 17th! 1 .. General Meeting 2 .. Board Directory The January meeting features our annual Information Fair. This is a great .... President’s Message opportunity to get acquainted, or reacquainted, with RCA activities and .... Magazines members. 3 .. Telescope Sampling # 4 There will be several tables set up in OMSI's Auditorium with members 5 .. RCA Photo Gallery sharing information about RCA programs and activities. The library will be 6 .. Board Meeting Minutes open with hundreds of astronomy related books and videos. If you prefer to .... RCA Library purchase books the RCA Sales table will feature a large assortment of As- 7 .. The Observers Corner tronomy reference books, star-charts, calendars and assorted accessories. 9 .. Astrobiology 11. RCA Downtowners Learn about amateur observing programs such as the Messier, Caldwell and .... Telescope Workshop Herschel programs. Depending on table allocation, RCA members will be .... SIG’s displaying programs such as observing the Moon, Planets, Asteroids and .... Desert Sunset SP! more. Find out about our Telescope Library where members can check out a 12. Calendar variety of telescopes to try out. Find out about the observing site committee and special interest groups. Special interest groups, depending on participa- tion, include Cosmology/Astrophysics, Astrophotography and Amateur Telescope Making. Above all get to know people who share your interests. The fair begins at 7:00 PM, Monday January 17th in the OMSI Auditorium. There will be a short business meeting at 7:30, . Enter at the Planetarium ©Copyright 2005 The Rose Entrance right (north) of the Main Entrance. Proceed to your right to the City Astronomers All Rights Auditorium. Reserved. Hubble Deep Field above courtesy R. Williams (STScI), the Hubble Deep Field Team and NASA. Moon photos below courtesy David Haworth Deadline for submission of articles, ads, and photos for the Gazette is the 20th of each month. Last Quarter Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Full Moon January 3, 9:47 AM. PST January 10, 4:03 AM PST January 16, 10:57 PM. PST January 25, 2:33 AM. PST Club Officers RCA President Carol Huston (503) 629-8809 [email protected] MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Past President Peter Abrahams (503) 699-1056 [email protected] One of the benefits of RCA Membership VP Membership Ken Hose (503) 591-5585 [email protected] is reduced rate subscriptions to Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines. VP Observing Matt Vartanian (503) 244-5023 [email protected] Sky & Telescope Magazine is $32.95 for VP Community Affairs Jeff Sponaugle (503) 590-5522 [email protected] one year. Astronomy magazine is $29 for one year or $55 for two years. For VP, Programming Matt Brewster (503) 740-2329 [email protected] more information go to larry's web page: Treasurer Ginny Pitts (360) 737-0569 [email protected] larrygodsey.home.att.net/magazines Secretary Ken Cone (503) 292-0920 [email protected] Larry Godsey, 503-675-5217, Sales Director Sameer Ruiwale (503) 681-0100 [email protected] Subscription Coordinator, will be taking renewals and new subscriptions at the Newsletter Editor Larry Deal (503) 708-4180 [email protected] Magazine Table before General New Member Advisor Jim Reilly (503).493-2386 [email protected] Meetings. Web Master Dareth Murray (503) 957-4499 [email protected] Please Note: Allow two months for your subscription to be renewed. Alcor, Historian Dale Fenske (503) 256-1840 [email protected] Sky & Telescope Store Discount Library Director Jan Keiski (503) 539-4566 [email protected] RCA members who subscribe to Sky & Telescope Director Greg Rohde (503) 629-5475 [email protected] Telescope are entitled to a 10% discount Media Director Patton Echols (503) 936-4270 [email protected] at the Sky & Telescope online store at: http://skyandtelescope.com/shopsky IDA Liaison Bob McGown (503) 244-0078 [email protected] To get your discount, enter Rose City OSP Liaison Dareth Murray (503) 957-4499 [email protected] Astronomers when prompted for your club name during checkout at the Sky & Camp Hancock Liaison Glenn Graham (503) 579-1141 [email protected] Telescope online store. Subscription Director Larry Godsey (503) 675-5217 [email protected] SIG Director Margaret McCrea (503) 232-7636 [email protected] Youth Programs Director Jenny Forrester (503) 504-8070 [email protected] Welcome to Rose City Astronomers for 2005. As I look back over the years, I have President’s seen major changes to our organization occur. When I joined RCA in 1989, there Message were less than 50 members. It was an informal group, all very enthusiastic to share their hobby of astronomy with newcomers and show them the wonders of the night By sky. Since then, I have seen the club grow to 400+ member families, one of the larg- Carol Huston est in the United States. What hasn’t changed is that basic enthusiasm and the willing- January 2005 ness to share that knowledge. Even though the club is daunting in its size, the friendli- ness and informality of its membership is what makes this club so successful. I remember only too well, when I came on the scene, how confusing everything was to me. I knew I wanted a telescope, but what kind amongst all of the choices? I also knew that I was interested in astronomy as a whole, but how would that play out in pursuing it as a hobby? Many members at that time took me under their wings and showed me the ropes, let me view through their scopes, showed me how to read star charts, and oriented me to the constellations. I found my niche through their guidance, and I learned a lot of the things that were a confusion to me before. As I became more active in the club, I could see more “newbies” coming in with this same confusion, and I could recognize it all too well. I wanted to give back to this organization, and I found my calling in new member information. This led to the creation of the welcome packet, the new member packet, new member orientations, and new member information. Over the years, I gravitated through a number of the officer positions on the board: Secretary, VP of Star Parties, VP of Membership, New Member Advisor, and now President. The current RCA board consists of 20+ volunteers who all have stories such as this, and each position fulfills a role that provides a service to the membership of this club. RCA’s bylaws spell out our purpose: RCA is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the enjoyment and education of astronomy and related subjects to members and the general public. As I look back over the years, I can see that the purpose of our bylaws has been fulfilled for me, members supporting other members, and I look forward to this organization carrying on the same direction. ©Copyright 2005 The Rose City Astronomers All Rights Reserved. Page 2 A SAMPLING OF TELESCOPES FOR THE AMATEUR ASTRONOMER—PART 4 By John W. Siple A Tasco best seller, the cleverly-designed Model #10TE (or #10T) SOLARAMA REFRACTOR (REG NO. 510600, D=76.2mm. F=1200mm., 60X, 96X, 120X, 192X, 300X, 600X) began appearing at the close of the 1950’s. Manufactured by the Japanese optical giant firm Astro Optical Industries, it was distributed worldwide by Tasco Sales, Inc. (1075 N.W. 71st Street, P.O. Box 878, Miami, FL 33138) as an ultra-precision refractor. Both my 1960 brochure or flyer and 1970 catalog have the telescope priced at $299.95. The 3” f/15.7 refractor could be purchased from a host of sources such as the large retailer Montgomery Ward ($199.99 in their 1967-70 catalogs as stock #67 (A-C) 7283 A--the cost jumped to $269.99 by 1973), as a special order from OMSI, and even Cave Optical Co. of Long Beach, CA carried it (in Cave’s 1967/68 price sheet at $199.95). In Sydney, Australia the telescope was available from Amateur Astronomers Supply Co. as Royal Astronomical Telescope Model No. R-74, where the price tag was $199.00 as shown in their September, 1969 catalog. Because of inflationary pressures the price rose steadily in the 1970’s, and by 1978 the #10TE had all but disappeared from dealer’s inventories. It was replaced or supplanted shortly thereafter by Tasco’s Model #10K (“a modernized cheaper-upgrade”), which is reminiscent of Orion’s Sky Explorer II 80mm. f/15 equatorial refractor. Interestingly, Sears, Roebuck, & Co. started carrying a clone of the #10K (Sears catalog number 3 H 4454C, priced at $429.99 in their Fall/Winter 1978 issue) at about the same time. Displayed below is the parts diagram for the #10TE SOLARAMA, taken from page 20 of the Tasco 1964 catalog. (Continued on Page 4) ©1964 Tasco Sales, Inc. Reprinted with permission from Bushnell. ©Copyright 2005 The Rose City Astronomers All Rights Reserved. Page 3 A SAMPLING OF TELESCOPES FOR THE AMATEUR ASTRONOMER—PART 4 (continued from page 3) The vintage Tasco #10TE is characterized by an unusual mounting head design, similar in construction to the common Sears 3” f/16 Discoverer. The mounting is equipped with a latitude scale, hour and declination circles, spirit level, slow-motion flexible controls, and is supported by a rigid adjustable (33-60”) mahogany tripod with a metal accessory shelf. The deluxe rack-and- pinion focuser has lots of travel, and is a marvel of craftsmanship. The telescope is supplied with three interchangeable 0.965” oculars (SR 4mm., HM 12.5mm., and H20mm.), a 2X Barlow lens for doubling of powers, a 90° star diagonal, an erecting prism for daytime viewing, a solar projection set, and a fine hardwood case with handles for storage and transport to and from the ob- serving site.
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