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 - - - 16th 17th - - - 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 Mee ng Minutes...... p. 2 - - - 25th - - - Board Mee ng 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. Observa ons...... 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 Mee ng 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. It was not clear whether enough people could come to eclipse glasses will only reveal the Sun’s blank face. Why is make it viable. A Remote Telescope Training Session was that? Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and set for 8pm on Friday, November 22nd at KAMSC. closer to the Sun (and further away from Earth) during its transit than Venus was in its 2012 transit. This makes A group called Change Agent Consulting has contracted with Mercury’s disc too small to see without the extra power of a KNC to create a new strategic plan. They are sponsoring telescope. Make absolutely certain that you view the transit two Community Engagement Sessions with community via a telescope equipped with a safe solar filter or projection stakeholders, and he was invited to attend. The Board agreed setup. Do NOT combine binoculars with your eclipse that we should have a representative present, and Richard glasses; this will instantly burn a hole through the glasses – said that he would cover the event. (Editor’s Note: It was and your eyes! While most people don’t have solar canceled.) Finally, packets of flyers for publicity about the telescopes handy, many astronomy clubs do! Look for clubs Remote Viewing Sessions were handed out for distribution hosting Mercury transit observing events near you or locally. worldwide (see page 11 for details on our event).
In Other Business, Richard noted that the projector screen in What a fun opportunity to see another planet during the day! KAMSC’s presentation center had been performing poorly This transit is expected to last over five hours. Folks on the during Astrophotography Night. He tested the system with East Coast will be able to watch the entre transit, weather an HD cable of his own, and it worked very well. permitting, from approximately 7:35 am EST until around Apparently, the KAMSC cable is defective. Richard approximately 1:04 pm EST. Folks located in the middle of suggested that KAS could buy a new cable for the facility, North America to the west coast will see the transit already since we use it so much. With an anticipated cost of about in progress at sunrise. The transit takes hours, so if your $20, the Board agreed. Richard will check with Mike weather is cloudy, don’t despair; there will be plenty of time Sinclair about the cable size. for skies to clear! You can find timing details and charts via eclipse guru Fred Espenak’s website.
With the conclusion of business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:14 pm. The next meeting was set for 5pm on November Mercury’s orbit is small and swift, and so its position in our th skies quickly changes; that’s why it was named after the fleet 10 at Sunnyside. -footed messenger god of Roman mythology. In fact, if you
have a clear view of the eastern horizon, you’ll be able to Respectfully submitted by Roger Williams catch Mercury again this month! Look for it before dawn during the last week of November, just above the eastern horizon and below red Mars. Wake up early the morning of November 24th to see Mars, the Moon, and Mercury form a loose triangle right before sunrise.
Discover more about Mercury and the rest of our solar system at nasa.gov.
The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach.
Prime Focus Page 3 November 2019 Note two things. First, each session has a “cloud date” if weather conditions in Arizona necessitate a postponement. The November session also has a special start time of 7pm. This is because, as mentioned in our recent mailing, we’ll be holding a ceremony for the successful completion of the Remote Telescope Project and the inauguration of the remote sessions. The celebration begins in the lobby outside of 1110 Rood Hall, located on WMU’s Main Campus, with November is usually the month when things begin to wind refreshments. We’ll then move into room 1110 itself where down for the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. The Public we hope to have lots of surprises. Please make every effort Observing Session season is over and we have our last guest to attend the first session in November as well as the speaker for the year. We often take a field trip to Abrams remaining 2019/2020 season. Planetarium before the holiday season begins. This year, we’ve decided to forego the field trip as November is going Speaking of the recent mailer, please renew your KAS to be one busy, but memorable month for the KAS. membership (if needed) in a timely fashion. And, if you would be so generous, consider making a donation to the First, we do indeed have the final guest speaker of 2019 at Owl Observatory Upgrade Project. I know this is on the the general meeting on November 1st. Dr. Artemis Spyrou, heels of the Remote Telescope Project, but I promise this an associate professor of physics at Michigan State will be the last fund raiser for a while. Besides, future University, will discuss the synthesis of the elements in the projects will most likely solely rely on grant writing. stars and in the lab as part of the International Year of the Periodic Table. Jean DeMott and I saw Dr. Spyrou speak during a tour of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in the summer of 2018. Since 2015, she has served as the Associate Director for Education and Outreach for the FRIB Laboratory. Remote Telescope
A transit of Mercury occurs on the morning of Monday, November 11th. You can learn more about the transit in the Training Session Night Sky Notes column on page 3. We’ll host transit viewing at Richland Township Park starting at 7am, although The dreaded Arizona monsoon season is over, nights are you’re welcome to arrive earlier since park officials don’t getting shorter, and Daylight Saving Time is over! That lock the gate at night. That is terribly early in the morning, means our first full season to use the KAS Remote Telescope but the next transit visible from our area won’t happen until has begun! 2049. Let’s hope the sky is uncharacteristically clear on November 11th and if it is cloudy here, let’s hope some of us Our next training session will be held on Friday, November don’t have to venture too far for clear skies. I missed the last 22nd, 8:00 pm at the Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Mercury transit in 2016, since I was heading home from the Center. The session is open to the entire membership, but Texas Star Party and it was cloudy in Oklahoma while the only those that pay the addi- transit was in progress. tional fee will be given a username and password to And then...at long last...the inaugural season of Remote access the telescope. Viewing Sessions begin on November 16th. This is the culmination of a decade-long effort to install the KAS The fee is $50 for regular Remote Telescope at Arizona Sky Village. Remote Viewing members (which includes Sessions, will not, of course, replace Public Observing Family and Senior member- Sessions at the Nature Center. They’ll complement them. ships) and $25 for student When the weather is overcast and cold (or clear and really members. Payment can be cold), we can stay warm indoors and enjoy the splendors of made at the session. This will the night sky as seen from Arizona. We’ll be in uncharted include access to our Google waters as well. No other astronomical institution, to my Drive account, so you can ac- knowledge, has tried something like this before. cess every image ever taken with the Remote Tele- Each session will be hosted by a KAS member. I plan to host scope. Please contact us to the first two sessions to - kind of - set the tone and show the register for the session. Those that have already paid the general way they’ll be enacted. Basically, the host will user fee and attended the first training session in April are introduce each deep sky target to be imaged and provide welcome to attend as a refresher, but please register. some colorful background information while the exposure is in progress. Once the image appears on the large screen, he Attendees should bring their membership card and some- or she will share interesting scientific tidbits. You’ll also be thing to take notes on. We hope for clear skies in Arizona, able to see the Remote Telescope itself in action thanks to but this session will go on cloudy or clear. streaming video on our 55-inch flat screen TV. PLEASE NOTE: This will likely be the only training ses- Dates and times for the inaugural season appear on page 5. sion offered until November 2020, so take advantage now!
Prime Focus Page 4 November 2019 The Inaugural Season of
Remote Viewing Sessions will u lize the KAS Remote Telescope, located under the dark skies of southeastern Arizona. View images of constella ons and deep-sky objects captured with the system’s CCD cameras in Arizona, transmi ed to Kalamazoo via the internet and projected on the lecture hall screen. Live streaming video will show the telescope in opera on. If weather condi ons necessitate a cancella on there will be a second “cloud date” scheduled the following Saturday. Postponement or cancella on informa on will be posted on kasonline.org
2019/2020 Season Schedule
PRIMARY DATE CLOUD DATE TIME
November 16th November 23rd 7 - 10 pm December 14th December 21st 8 - 10 pm January 18th January 25th 9 - 11 pm February 15th February 22nd 9 - 11 pm
Western Michigan University Rood Hall (2101 Wilbur Ave.) • Room 1110
─ Admission and Parking is Free ─
Presented by the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Membership of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. . .
1. Thomas Abraham Senior 2020 76. Jim Kurtz Regular 2020 2. Jan Andersen Senior 2019 77. Tim Kurtz Regular 2020 3. Paul Asmus Senior 2019 78. Cal & Jean Lamoreaux Senior Family 2020 4. Harold Ballen Senior 2019 79. John Lee Family 2020 5. Richard Bell Life me n/a 80. Nancy Wood & Dale Lighthizer Senior Family 2020 6. Jonathan Berndt Senior 2019 81. Teresa Lindsey-Houston Family 2019 7. Karen & Peter Berzins Senior Family 2019 82. Keith Longjohn Senior 2019 8. Charles Bibart Senior Family 2020 83. Andrew Loveless Family 2020 9. Be y Bledsoe Senior 2019 84. Gary & Phyllis Lubbert Family 2019 10. Jack & Lorrie Bley Family 2019 85. Chuck Lund Senior 2020 11. Joseph & Pa Borrello Family 2019 86. Sco Macfarlane Family 2019 12. Ma hew Borton Regular 2019 87. Dale E. Mais Senior 2020 13. Tommy Brown Regular 2019 88. Phillip & Linda Marshall Senior Family 2020 14. Jason Burke Regular 2019 89. Jon Towne & Bobbi Mar ndale Family 2019 15. Phyllis Buskirk Life me n/a 90. Richard Mather Senior 2020 16. Michael Bussey Senior 2019 91. Randy & Michelle Matson Family 2020 17. Beverly Byle Senior 2020 92. Joe McJilton Regular 2019 18. Joseph Cain Family 2019 93. Paul McKinley Senior 2019 19. Dale A. Campbell Family 2020 94. Cathy McMinn Family 2020 20. David Carpenter Family 2019 95. Michael J. Melwiki Regular 2019 21. Adam Castle Regular 2020 96. Chris Miller Regular 2020 22. Bonnie Covert & Mike Chaffee Family 2020 97. John Miller Regular 2019 23. Tonya Chase Regular 2019 98. Mark & Ninah Miller Family 2020 24. Joe & Ellen Comiskey Family 2019 99. Dave & Carol Mitchell Senior Family 2019 25. Roark Consola Senior 2019 100. Ka e Morgan Regular 2019 26. Michael Cook Family 2019 101. David Murphy Family 2019 27. Harry Co erill Senior Family 2019 102. Bill Nigg Life me n/a 28. Greg Cowles Family 2019 103. Richard Olsen Regular 2019 29. Steve Crawford Regular 2021 104. Jim & Christene Oorbeck Family 2020 30. Brian Cri endon Regular 2019 105. Amy Ohrstrom Regular 2019 31. John Dillworth & Dorilee Crown Family 2020 106. Charles Overberger Regular 2020 32. Sco & Lisa Crummel Family 2019 107. Mike Pa on Senior 2020 33. Kalman & Becky Csia Senior Family 2020 108. Thomas M. Peters Regular 2019 34. Jean DeMo Senior 2020 109. Jack & Ruth Price Family 2019 35. Sue DeNise Regular 2019 110. Alison Prui Family 2020 36. Ma hew DePriest Family 2020 111. Sam & Tina Qualls Family 2020 37. Srinivas Dhara Family 2019 112. Michael Quinn Senior Family 2019 38. Richard Dirrenberger Senior 2020 113. Jay Raycra Regular 2021 39. Kris & Steve Durbin Family 2019 114. Jonathan Reck Regular 2020 40. Fred E. Du on Senior 2019 115. Christopher Roberts Regular 2019 41. James Dyer Senior Family 2020 116. Andrew C. Robins Regular 2019 42. Cli on E. Ealy Jr. Regular 2020 117. Aaron & McKenzie Roman Family 2019 43. Richard Emmons Senior Family 2020 118. Eric Schreur Senior 2020 44. Fred Espenak Honorary n/a 119. Robert Secor Regular 2020 45. Joseph Evankovich Regular 2019 120. Frank & Susan Severance Senior Family 2020 46. Bill Finger Regular 2019 121. Diane Schear Regular 2021 47. Bradley Franks Student 2019 122. Rick Shields Senior 2019 48. Richard Frantz Senior 2020 123. Lloyd Simons Family 2019 49. Dave Garten Family 2020 124. Michael & Karen Sinclair Family 2020 50. Ma Garten Regular 2020 125. Greg Sirna Regular 2019 51. Brendan & Dee Gauthier Senior Family 2019 126. Don S lwell Family 2019 52. Kalina Angell & Rob Gauthier Family 2020 127. Stephanie Stra on Regular 2019 53. Tom George Regular 2019 128. Brian & Terri Swisher Family 2019 54. Jaimy Gordon Senior 2019 129. Jon Szczepanski Family 2020 55. Tony Gurczynski Senior 2019 130. Renée Szostek Regular 2019 56. Alexander Hanchar Senior 2019 131. David Taylor Regular 2019 57. Robert & Barbara Havira Senior Family 2020 132. Josh Taylor-Lehman Family 2019 58. Jeannine Willacker & David Heinrich Family 2019 133. Gary & Karen Theisen Family 2020 59. Geoffrey Hickok Senior Family 2020 134. Terry Tomlinson Senior Family 2021 60. Christopher & Lydia Hodshire Family 2019 135. Henry & Martha Upjohn Family 2019 61. Lydia Hoff Regular 2019 136. Michael Vandeveer Senior 2019 62. Nicholas & Nancy Hotra Senior Family 2020 137. Patricia Villalobos Family 2019 63. Arya Jaya laka Family 2021 138. Jim Vukelich Senior 2019 64. Eric Jeska Regular 2019 139. Robert Wade Suppor ng 2019 65. Dean Johnson Senior 2020 140. Brian Walesh Family 2019 66. Phillip Johnson Family 2023 141. Sharyl Weber Family 2021 67. Kevin Jung Regular 2020 142. Ka e & Duane Weller Family 2019 68. Daniel Keto Regular 2019 143. Danielle & James Whitaker Family 2020 69. Ahsanuddin & Maliha Ali Khan Senior Family 2021 144. Bob White Senior 2019 70. Rodney & Marlene Kinne Senior Family 2019 145. Roger & Molly Williams Family 2020 71. Mark Kinsey Family 2019 146. Vera Paz-Moreno & Ma hew Wimsa Family 2020 72. Melissa Kohler Family 2019 147. John Wing Family 2024 73. Kirk & Angela Korista Family 2019 148. Klay & Karen Woodworth Family 2019 74. Srinivasa Kota Family 2020 149. David Woolf Family 2020 75. Zosha Kuiper Student 2019 150. Mohammed Zafar Regular 2020
Prime Focus Page 6 November 2019 Astrophotography Night Highlights
FIRST COLOR IMAGE WITH REMOTE TELESCOPE
Merope Reflec on Nebula Richard Bell
The famed Pleiades star cluster is located 444 light-years away in the constella on Taurus. Known as the “seven sisters,” but upwards of 17 stars can be seen with the unaided. One of those stars is the B-type subgiant Merope. The dust and gas that create the Pleiades’ reflec on nebula was once thought to be le over material from the cluster’s forma on. We now know the Pleiades is simply plowing through a dusty region of the Milky Way. The brightest por on of the nebula surrounds Merope. Alcyone, the brightest Pleiad, is also visible to the upper le . Details: PlaneWave 20-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham telescope and SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera on a Paramount ME II mount. Total exposure of 150 minutes through Astrodon 50-mm LRGB Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Filters. Processed with PixInsight, plus Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Crescent Nebula Dave & Ma Garten
The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) is an emission nebula located about 5,000 light-years away in Cygnus. The brightest por on of the nebula resembles a crescent Moon, giving it its name. It formed by fast stellar winds from a Wolf-Rayet star (HD 192163) colliding with and energizing slower moving material previously ejected by the dying star. Details: Takahashi FSQ-106 and ZWO ASI1600MM Pro CMOS camera on a Losmandy G-11 German equatorial mount. Total exposure of 5.6 hours through Astrodon H-alpha, OIII, and SII narrowband 5nm filters. Processed using the Hubble pallet with PixInsight and Adobe Photoshop. Taken from Walkerville, Michigan.
Horsehead & Flame Nebula Joshua Taylor-Lehman
The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) is a dark nebula seen in silhoue e against the emission nebula IC 434. The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), seen at the lower le , is also an emission nebula. They are all part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. Alnitak, the eastern-most star of Orion’s Belt, can be found above the Flame Nebula. Details: Explore Scien fic 127mm ED refractor (with 0.7× reducer) and ZWO ASI294MC Pro CMOS camera on Celestron CGEM II German mount. Total exposure of 6 hours through an Optolong L-Pro filter. All data was collected with Sequence Generator Pro, stacked in Deep Sky Stacker, and processed with PixInsight. Astrophotography Night Highlights
Western Veil Nebula & Pickering’s Triangle Joshua Taylor-Lehman
The Cygnus Loop is the remains of a massive star that went supernova about 21,000 years ago. It is 2,600 light-years away and nearly 3° in angular diameter (making its true size ~130 light-years). Several components of the Cygnus Loop have separate names. The le side of the above image features the western half of the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960), also known as the Witch’s Broom. Also visible in this two panel mosaic is Pickering’s Triangle. This faint patch of nebulosity was discovered photographically by Williamina Fleming at Harvard Observatory, but names for Edward Charles Pickering (the observatory’s director). How typical! Details: Explore Scien fic 127mm ED refractor (with 0.7× reducer) and ZWO ASI294MC Pro CMOS camera on Celestron CGEM II German mount. Total exposure me is 16 hours (8 hours with a H-alpha filter and another 8 hours with an OIII filter).
July’s Total Solar Eclipse Hydrogen-Alpha Sun Eric Schreur Roger Williams The first total solar eclipse anywhere in the world a er the Great
American Eclipse came to Chile and Argen na near sunset on July 2, We are currently experiencing the deepest solar minimum in a century, 2019. Eric experienced 2 minutes and 20 seconds of totality from but Roger managed to capture this sunspot and prominence from his Mamalluca, Chile. home in Kalamazoo on May 4, 2019. Details: Nikon D550 and Sigma 600mm f/8 lens on an iOptron Skytracker. Details: Coronado MaxScope 60 and Lumenera SKYnyx 2-1M camera on Eric combined exposures ranging from 1/400 and 4 seconds to create this a Celestron AVX GEM. Roger took 1,080 frames for the disk and 1,320 high dynamic range image. frames for the prominence and stacked the best 300 with RegiStax 6. Astrophotography Night Highlights
Rose e Nebula Dave & Ma Garten
The Rose e Nebula (Caldwell 49) is a large spherical emission nebula located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's ma er.
Details: Takahashi FSQ-106 and ZWO ASI1600MM Pro CMOS camera on a Losmandy G-11 German equatorial mount. Total exposure of 1 hour through Astrodon H-alpha, OIII, and SII narrowband 5nm filters. Processed using the Hubble pallet with PixInsight and Adobe Photoshop.
Total Lunar Eclipse Richard Bell
The Moon passed through Earth’s shadow during the frigid night of January 21, 2019. This image went viral a er being shared by Elon Musk (having been retweeted over 2,000 mes and liked over 132,000 mes). It was also featured on the main page of Spaceweather. Details: Stellarvue 130mm refractor and Canon 6D on an Astro-Physics Mach1GTO mount. It is a 6 second exposure at ISO 200.
Southern Milky Way Eric Schreur
Eric took advantage of the southern skies while on his eclipse expedi on in July. Most of the Milky Way featured here is not visible from Michigan. Highlights include Alpha & Beta Centauri, the Coal Sack, and Crux the Southern Cross. Details: Nikon D5500 and Tokina 11-16mm zoom lens (set at 11mm and f/2.8) on an iOptron Skytracker. It is a two panel mosaic with 25 subframes, each of which were 25-second exposures at ISO 800. — November Night Sky —
This star map is property of the This map represents the sky at the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. NORTH following local standard mes: However, you may make as many • Early October 11 pm copies as you wish free-of- charge, so long as it is for non- • Late October 10 pm profit educa onal purposes and • Early November 8 pm full credit is given to the KAS. • Late November 7 pm www.kasonline.org EAST WEST
SOUTH
ercury will transit the face of the Eclipse Shades, so a telescope equipped 24th. Look toward the southwestern sky M Sun on the morning of November with a proper solar filter is required to shortly after sunset. 11th. Kalamazoo is very close to the enjoy this event. The next Mercury transit western boundary of the region where the visible from West Michigan will not take Spot the thinnest sliver of a waning entire event is visible, so the transit place until 2049, so don’t miss out! crescent Moon just before dawn on begins 8 minutes after sunrise (7:28 am November 25th. Use Mercury as your EST). Midpoint occurs at 10:20 am and Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest guide. The Moon will be 6° to the the transit ends at 1:04 pm. Mercury’s planets in the sky, will be about 1° apart innermost planet’s lower left in the tiny silhouette is too small to see with on the evenings of November 23rd and southeastern sky. November 2019 Page 11 PRESIDENT Richard S. Bell
VICE PRESIDENT
Jack Price Members are encouraged to setup telescopes equipped with solar filters so everyone can safely TREASURER enjoy this 5½ hour event. The next Mercury transit visible from our area won’t be un l 2049, so don’t Rich Mather miss out! SECRETARY/ALCOR Sunrise in Kalamazoo is at 7:28 am EST, with the transit star ng at 7:36 am. Mid-transit will be at Roger Williams 10:20 am and end at 1:04 pm. Mercury will appear as a black dot 10˝ in angular diameter. PUBLICITY MANAGER Monday, November 11th @ 7:00 am Joe Comiskey Richland Township Park • 6996 N. 32nd St. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Jean De Mo Sco Macfarlane ALL NEW KAS GALLERY Don S lwell Visit the completely redesigned KAS Gallery! E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER Not only does the gallery have a new look with several new pages added, but nearly every single image in older galleries has been reprocessed in some way. You won’t find another astronomy club’s gallery as extensive as ours anywhere online. Check it out at: gallery.kasonline.org
Opening nominations for 2020 KAS Officers and At-Large Board Members will take place at the November General Meeting.
Please send us your nominations if you are unable to attend the meeting. Ask not what the KAS can do for you, but what you can do for the KAS! General Meeting Preview
The elements we see around us are forged in the burning fires of stars. Nuclear energy and nuclear reactions are driving these fires, and the only way to understand how they work is by producing the relevant nuclei here on Earth and studying their properties. For this reason, among others, the most powerful rare isotope accelerator in the world, FRIB, is currently under construction in the heart of Michigan, on the campus of Michigan State University. Celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, this talk will focus on how each of the elements and their isotopes can be synthesized inside stars, and how FRIB will give us unique access to the rarest of these isotopes to help us better understand how the universe works.
Friday, November 1 @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center 600 West Vine, Suite 400 • Use Dutton St. Entrance
─ Dutton Entrance Locked by 7:10 pm ─
Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC STAMP 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008
© November 2019, Stargazer Productions