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Prime Focus (11-19) Highlights of the November Sky - - - 1st - - - DUSK: Saturn, a waxing crescent Moon, and Jupiter form a 22° long arc. - - - 4th - - - First Quarter Moon 5:23 am EST - - - 9th 11th - - - DAWN: Mars, in Virgo, KAS passes within 2½° of Spica. - - - 11th - - - AM: Transit of Mercury General Meeting: Friday, November 1 @ 7:00 pm begins at 7:35 am EST. Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center - See Page 12 for Details - - - 12th - - - Full Moon Special Event: Monday, November 11 @ 7:00 am 8:34 am EST Transit of Mercury - Richland Township Park - See Page 11 for Details - - - 16th - - - PM: A waning gibbous Moon is 6.5° right of Pollux Remote Session: Saturday, November 16 @ 7:00 pm in Gemini. WMU Rood Hall (Room 1110) - See Page 5 for Details th th - - - 16 17 - - - PM: Leonid meteor shower peaks, but a waning gibbous Training Session: Friday, November 22 @ 8:00 pm Moon will interfere. Remote Telescope - KAMSC - See Page 4 for Details - - - 19th - - - Last Quarter Moon 4:11 pm EST - - - 23rd 24th - - - Inside the Newsletter. DUSK: Venus and Jupiter are only 1° apart. October Meeng Minutes................. p. 2 - - - 25th - - - Board Meeng Minutes..................... p. 2 DAWN: Thinnest sliver of a waning crescent Moon is 5° NASA Night Sky Notes........................ p. 3 to the lower le of Mercury. Observaons...................................... p. 4 - - - 26th - - - Remote Telescope Training Session...p. 4 New Moon Remote Viewing Sessions.................. p. 5 10:06 am EST Membership of the KAS..................... p. 6 th - - - 28 - - - Astrophotography Night Highlights... p. 7 DUSK: A thin waxing crescent Moon is less than November Night Sky.......................... p. 10 2° to upper le of Venus. KAS Board & Announcements............ p. 11 - - - 29th - - - General Meeng Preview.................. p. 12 DUSK: The Moon is less than 2° to lower le of Saturn. The general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society The KAS Board met on October 14, 2019 at Sunnyside was brought to order by President Richard Bell on Friday, Church. Board members present were Richard Bell, Joe October 4, 2019 at 7:05 pm EDT. Approximately 36 Comiskey, Rich Mather, Jack Price, Don Stilwell, and Roger members and guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Williams. KAS member Ellen Comiskey was also present. Area Math & Science Center (KAMSC). Richard called the meeting to order at 5:08 pm. Richard began with a brief President’s Report. Like last Don delivered the Treasurer’s report, prepared with the month, he asked members to share ideas for 2020 KAS recently clarified financial records. All of the balances were activities. One idea put forth was to hold sessions focused reported as of year-to-date since January 1st. Major on Astronomical League Observing Programs. Someone is expenditures during this period were mostly related to the needed to organize and lead this activity, so Richard Owl Observatory upgrade, totaling over $21,000. There encouraged members to step forward. The Remote Telescope were some questions related to how the financial records is back online after the summer hiatus, so users are welcome were allocated. What was desired was a breakdown into to reserve time. A second training session will be held on categories, which could be done by the software with the November 22nd (see page 4 for details). The inaugural season right kind of query. Don agreed to prepare a report showing of Remote Viewing Sessions will begin in November. A this information. He also processed requests for ceremony will precede the first session with a start time of reimbursement of expenses incurred by members, some of 7pm. We hope ALL KAS members plan to attend. Finally, which had been held up awaiting clarification of the Richard reviewed outreach activities for October. accounts. As far back as the 1970s, the October meeting has been In the summary of November events, Richard reported that devoted to the art of astrophotography. This was an the general meeting on November 1st would feature Professor especially good year for “Astrophotography Night,” since six Artemis Spyrou, from MSU, speaking on the topic of KAS members shared their latest images of the night sky. nucleosynthesis of the chemical elements. The subject is in Richard highlighted his total lunar eclipse image taken on keeping with the designation of 2019 as the International January 21st that went viral after being shared on Twitter by Year of the Periodic Table. A highlight of November will Elon Musk. Richard also presented the first color images also be the first Remote Viewing Session (Nov. 16th, 1110 taken with the KAS Remote Telescope. Rood Hall, 8pm), following a ceremony at 7pm to inaugurate the series. Another event is the transit of Mercury on the Josh Taylor-Lehman shared images during Astrophoto Night morning of November 11th, scheduled to be viewed at for the first time. Josh’s first-ever image was of Jupiter, Richland Township Park. taken with an iPhone 7 in 2016. Subsequent images showed the considerable progress he’s made in a relatively short Concerning follow-up items, Richard gave an update on the amount of time. Some of his more impressive images were Owl Observatory Upgrade Project. The available funds have of the Crab Nebula (M1), an 8-hour image of the Horsehead been spent, and some more money is needed to complete the Nebula, the Eagle Nebula (M16, his first narrowband image), project. Richard has been working on another fund-raising and the western portion of the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960). letter, to be completed soon. Information is being collected The father and son duo of Dave & Matt Garten shared on the best model of a numerical lock box for the KNC front images separately, but many were taken together in Dave’s gate. The lock box would contain gate and observatory keys, backyard observatory in Portage or at their property near making access considerably easier and encourage increased Walkerville in the Huron-Manistee National Forest (which observatory usage. they promise to invite us to next summer). Dave & Matt have become quite adept at narrowband imaging and many Plans for year 2020 outreach activities included Science of their images have been processed using the Hubble palette Night at Vicksburg Middle School on March 11th and color scheme. Roger Williams featured images of the planets Astronomy Night at North Shore Elementary in South Haven Jupiter and Saturn, as well as another impressive composite on March 5th. The Board also heard from Bloomingdale High of the Sun in H-alpha. All were taken from Roger’s new School senior Gustavo Silva (who had joined the meeting in observatory at their home in Friendship Village. Eric Schreur progress). Gustavo was looking for information about an traveled to Chile in July to capture images of the most recent astronomy-related project that could fulfill a community total solar eclipse. He took advantage of the opportunity and service graduation requirement. Some suggestions were photographed portions of the Milky Way only visible from made by board members, based on our experience with the Southern Hemisphere. public outreach activities. Gustavo was advised to consult the gallery section of the website for examples of outreach Members enjoyed the traditional snack of apple cider and activities we had done in the past, and he was invited to donuts during break. Thanks again to Jean DeMott for consult with Richard or other board members individually providing the goodies. The meeting concluded at ~9:10 pm. using contact information on the website. Prime Focus Page 2 November 2019 The proposed schedules for 2020 general meetings and NASA Night Sky Notes... Public Observing Sessions were examined briefly. The only rd meeting date in question was April 3 . Mike Sinclair gave The Messenger Crosses the Sun: the okay for that date, since it was the start of KPS spring Mercury Transit 2019 break. No other problems were noted. Additional 2020 proposed activities included February Freeze Out (KNC, by David Prosper Feb. 21st), Messier Marathon (Richland Township Park, March 21st), Halloween Full Moon Party (Oct. 31st, KNC), and the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Dec. 21st. Did you know that there are two other objects in our skies Richard was also looking at redoing his Introduction to that have phases like the Moon? They’re the inner planets, Amateur Astronomy lecture series. Attempts had been made found between Earth and the Sun: Mercury and Venus. You to contact the Oshtemo Branch Library with no success, so can see their phases if you observe them through a telescope. Portage Public Library still looked like the best bet so far. Like our Moon, you can’t see the planets in their “new” phase, unless they are lined up perfectly between us On the subject of New Business, Richard reported about a Earthlings and the Sun. In the case of the Moon, this contact with our KAS Online website host (GoDaddy), who alignment results in a solar eclipse; in the case of Mercury said that it was necessary to migrate to a different server. and Venus, this results in a transit, where the small disc of Since the capabilities were improved and the price a bit the planet travels across the face of the Sun. Skywatchers are in for a treat this month, as Mercury transits the Sun the lower (about $200), Richard had made the move. Regarding th the first Remote Viewing Session, a “dress rehearsal” was morning of November 11 ! planned for Friday, October 25th. Interested members were invited to attend to see how the sessions will be conducted You may have seen the transit of Venus in 2012; you may and perhaps offer input. Richard suggested the possibility of have even watched it through eclipse glasses! However, this another field trip to Abrams Planetarium on November 2nd or time you’ll need a solar telescope to see anything, since 9th.
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