The Observer of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers

THE OBSERVER OF THE TWIN CITY AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS

Volume 42, Number 10 October 2017

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1«Editor’s Choice: Image of the Month – The Squid 2«Astronomical League Mabel Sterns Editor Award 3«Calendar of Celestial Events – October 2017 3«New & Renewing Members/Dues Blues/List/Forum 3«Subscribing to Our E-Mail List & Forum 4«President’s Note 4«Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight 5«This Month’s Phases of the Moon 5«Local Sunrise and Sunset Times for September 5«The OBSERVER Named Top Newsletter by AL 6«Minutes of September 19th Board Meeting 7«AstroBits – News from Around the TCAA 11«TCAA Guides in Amateur Astronomy Grows in No. 12«Order Your RASC Observer’s Handbook 2018 12«Summer Picnic Report 13«Planetarium Presents From Earth to the Universe! 14«TCAA Photo Gallery 14«Education and Public Outreach for September 2017 14«October 14th Eighth and Final PVS of 2017 15«Fields of View Comparison of TCAA Photo Platforms 17«Observing Spectra in Ursa Major

18«TCAA on Facebook and Twitter 18«HowTimeFlies EDITOR’S CHOICE: IMAGE OF THE MONTH – THE SQUID 18«Renewing Your TCAA Membership Editor’s Note: This month’s image is by Tim Stone. Tim writes, 19«TCAA Treasurer’s Report for September 2017 “OU4, otherwise known as The Squid Nebula, is a spectacular bipolar outflow in the constellation Cepheus. It is quite large in our sky, about a degree, which amounts to two full moons. Yet it was only discovered in 2011 by a French astrophotographer named Nicolas Outters. Such a discovery is truly astonishing, and triggered quite a buzz of excitement in both the amateur and professional astronomy communities. Its position is coincident with the well- known Bat Nebula, catalogued by Stuart Sharpless as entry 129 in his famous Sharpless Catalog of HII regions. This position makes it even more remarkable that it remained undiscovered for so long, and raises difficult questions as to its nature. When I heard about this nebula, I determined to make my own image of it. My first night imaging, in autumn of 2016, the area

The TCAA is an affiliate of the Astronomical League. For revealed absolutely nothing. I was shocked at how faint OU4 must more information about the TCAA, be certain to visit our be. I set out the next night to take long exposures in OIII on the 10” club website. Takahashi to see if I could pull it out of a stacked set of frames. After 10 1,800-second images, I could see its shape in the frame.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

Unfortunately, I was unable to get back on that object before it had slid into the western The OBSERVER sky. This year, I caught it early, and currently have 35 1800-second exposures in the OIII is the monthly electronic newsletter of Twin City Amateur Astronomers, Inc., a registered stack. It’s still noisy, but the nebulosity is clearly present. I’ve added 15 1200-second Hα 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization exposures, and the stars from five 600-second RGB exposures for this “finished” image. of amateur astronomers interested in The running total is 25 hours so far! studying astronomy and sharing their hobby So, what are the difficult questions? In 2014 a team of astronomers, led by Romano with the public. Corradi, investigated the Squid. They studied the HII region it shares in our sky, and

TCAA OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS concluded its distance is 712 parsecs: approximately 2,300 light years distant. If OU4 is at the same distance, then it must be nearly 50 light years across. This is extremely large for President & Director/Property Manager a bipolar planetary nebula, far outside what would be considered normal for planetary Tim Stone 309-531-2401 [email protected] nebulae. The study made velocity measurements, and concluded the nebula would have to be 90,000 years old to be that size in our sky. The whole thing would make much more Vice President & Director/Publicist sense if it were much closer to us, but the star that apparently powers SH2-129 is Darren Erickson 309-336-0103 [email protected] “coincidentally” at the center of OU4. That star, though is a hot blue giant, not a white dwarf as one would expect in a planetary nebula. So, is OU4 a Wolf-Rayet nebula? There Treasurer & Director/Registered Agent Dave Osenga 309-287-0789 seems to be no evidence to suggest this is the case. [email protected] Just what IS OU4? We just don’t know with any degree of certainty. One thing we know for sure, though, is that its discovery demonstrates the potential value of amateur Secretary & Director/Historian/Editor Carl J. Wenning 309-830-4085 and professional collaboration. Professionals had missed this object completely, in part [email protected] because telescope time is so precious they cannot afford the extremely long integration

Director & Observing Programs Coordinator times needed to see some of these objects. Quoting from Corradi’s study:

Jim Gibbs 847-809-2232 “It is a clear example of the relevant science that can be done with very small [email protected] telescopes: the long integrations that can be obtained by dedicated amateur Astronomical League Correspondent astronomers allow very faint detection levels to be reached, which are sometimes Robert Finnigan 309-846-9533 [email protected] difficult to achieve with professional telescopes given the limited amount of time available.” Webmaster Lee Green 309-454-7349 We amateur astrophotographers, with our “small” telescopes, can make valuable [email protected] contributions like this. Lighting Education Coordinator One other thing I know is that this object is truly beautiful. I fell in love with it when I Lisa Wentzel unlisted number saw it on the web for the first time, and now that I have my own image of it, I love it even [email protected] more. Added to its beauty, the mystery of OU4 makes this object one of my very Membership Coordinator favorites. Tom Willmitch 309-846-2423 [email protected] ASTRO LEAGUE 2017 MABEL STERNS NEWSLETTER EDITOR AWARD Technology Coordinator Justin Meyer 630-649-0611 ~ by Bill Bogardus, AL Vice President ~ [email protected] Competition was stiff…with a dozen or so nominations for this year’s award. The The OBSERVER selection committee, which was comprised of editors, including winners of previous Carl J. Wenning, Editor in Chief year’s awards, has selected the following: Paul Pouliot, Assistant Editor 1st Place – editor of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers’ publication: Submission deadline end of month. The OBSERVER, Carl Wenning MEMBERSHIP DUES nd 2 Place – editor of the Austin Astronomical Society’s publication: Individual Adult/Family $40 The Sidereal Times, Joyce Lynch Full-time Student/Senior $25

(Senior status equals ages 60+) rd 3 Place – editor of the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas’ publication: To join, send your name, contact info and TAS Spectrum, Maggie Hutchison dues payment to Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., Normal, IL 61761-1471. Congratulations to all three winners for their service, dedication and achievement of excellence in publishing.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

CALENDAR OF CELESTIAL EVENTS – OCTOBER 2017 NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS

The following individuals have paid dues for new or MORNING PLANETS (10/15): Venus, Mars, and Uranus th renewed memberships as of September 28 , 2017. (Others EVENING PLANETS (10/15): Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and who paid after that date will appear in the October 2017 Neptune issue of The OBSERVER.)

06 Full Moon – The Moon will rise at sunset and set at sunrise. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes Goeff Hughes, Jim Gibbs, Jeffery Struve, Michael Starasta, and Lisa Wentzel as the Full Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and DUES BLUES the Blood Moon. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs If you have received a “your dues are due” statement closest to the September equinox each year. along with the email that brought you this issue of The OBSERVER, please remit your dues to Mr. Dave Osenga, 12 Last Quarter Moon – The waning, half-lit moon rises TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., Normal, IL 61761- around midnight and sets around midday. 1471. Dues are currently $25 for seniors (60 years of age and over) and $40 regular. 19 New Moon – Sets at sunset and rises at sunrise.

SUBSCRIBING TO OUR E-MAIL LIST & FORUM 19 Uranus at Opposition – The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully By subscribing to a group’s mailing list, you will receive illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than at any other email messages from the group so you won’t have access time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the to the group’s web features (like photos, files, links, polls, best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only calendar, etc.) unless members activate it later. The club appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful has an open email listserv. It is known as the TCAA telescopes. Yahoogroups listserv. It will be used to share announcements and reminders about astronomical and 21, 22 Orionids Meteor Shower – The Orionids is an average club events. To join this main listserv, you must do the shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It following: is produced by dust grains left behind by Comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. 1. Subscribe: Send a blank email to TCAA- The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. [email protected] Note: You’ll be sent a It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the confirmation email from the group. Reply to the morning of October 22. The crescent moon will set early in confirmation email to activate your subscription. the evening leaving dark skies for what should be a good 2. Unsubscribe: [email protected] show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after 3. To post a message: [email protected] midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky. A new forum has been established that replaces the former yahoogroups.com imaging group. This new space 27 First Quarter Moon – The waxing, half-lit moon rises will give TCAAers more room to grow the forum as well as around midday and sets around midnight. the ability to customize the look and feel of the site. For now, Tony Cellini will be paying for the hosting service but, EVENING SKY MAP if somewhere down the line he should decide that he Click on the icon found here doesn’t want to take on that burden, the host he chose to access a current evening offers free hosting for 503(c) organizations. sky map along with a more So, join the discussion at the new home of the TCAA detailed celestial events forums: https://tcaa.clubforums.net. Please note that calendar. guests may view all the forums, but registration is required to post. It’s easy and secure.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

It’s that time of year again. The weather is cooling down, the result of those gloriously dry and clear continental polar air masses that make their way down from Canada as our days get shorter. Night comes earlier and lasts longer, and for us astronomers, we have the chance to make our last observations of the summer constellations and our first (and most comfortable) observations of the autumn and winter constellations. It’s great to see Capella rising in the northeast by midnight, and M31 passing almost directly overhead at that same time. What a great time for visual and photographic observation. It’s also the time of year when we start looking forward to and planning for our annual meeting, this year to be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018. We’re working on lining up a speaker, getting the catering and venue reserved, and electing our next board of directors. We’d love to have you participate as a board member next year, and if you’re interested, please let one of the board members know. It’s a duty that doesn’t have to take a lot of your time, and gives you the opportunity to help steer our club as we work to make our hobby accessible to the public and our own members. Please do consider it, and let us know if you’d like to be on the ballet in February. Saturday, September 23, we had our next to last Public Viewing Session, which was actually graced with clear skies! Some 50 members of the public were there, and we had a great time showing them the wonders of the early autumn sky. Our last PVS for this year comes earlier in October, the 14th, with Mark and Nataya Boulware giving a presentation on the Andromeda Galaxy. I know they’ve been working very hard on their presentation, so do plan to be there, cloudy or clear, to show your support! So, until next time, bundle up and get that telescope out under this brisk autumn sky! Tim Stone, President

PLANETS AND BRIGHT STARS IN EVENING MID-TWILIGHT FOR OCTOBER 2017

This sky chart by Robert D. Miller is drawn for 40° north latitude but may be used throughout the continental U.S. and southern Canada. It shows the positions of objects in the sky when the Sun’s center is 9° below the western horizon. This corresponds from 44 to 43 minutes after sunset this month. Jupiter has pretty much disappeared into the glare of the sun. Saturn is now shinning in the southwestern sky. The spring star Arcturus is also heading down in the west, and the stars of the Summer Triangle dominate the southern sky. The first star of Autumn, Fomalhaut, is increasingly visible in the southeast. The winter star Capella is making its appearance low down the north-northeast. Editor’s Note: This will be the final appearance of Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight. The charts, first provided at 2016 ALCon, were not re- created for months beyond October 2017. Thanks again to Robert D. Miller for creating this series, and to Bob Victor for making the charts available.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

THIS MONTH’S PHASES OF THE MOON

Full Moon Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Thursday, October 6 Thursday, October 12 Thursday, October 19 Friday, October 27

All moon phase dates are Central Time. Additional moon phases for the 2017 calendar year can be found by clicking here. Images provided by J. K. Howell of the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society & used with permission.

LOCAL SUNRISE AND SUNSET TIMES FOR OCTOBER

From the December solstice to the June solstice, the duration of daylight increases. This occurs in general because sunrises occur earlier and sunsets occur later. The opposite is true from the June solstice to the December solstice. The table below gives times for the Bloomington-Normal area, and will help you plan observations. The times of dawn and dusk in the table below are the beginning and end of astronomical twilight when the sun’s center is 18° below the horizon and it is not contributing light to the night sky.

Event October 1 October 11 October 21 Dawn 5:22 AM 5:32 AM 5:43 AM Sunrise 6:53 AM 7:03 AM 7:14 AM Sunset 6:38 PM 6:22 PM 6:07 PM Dusk 8:08 PM 7:52 PM 7:38 PM

THE OBSERVER NAMED TOP NEWSLETTER BY AL

The Astronomical League has named this newsletter, The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers, the top astronomy club newsletter in the AL for 2017. The announcement was made at the AstroCon event in Casper, WY, on August 19th. Your editor didn’t learn about this award until Labor Day, too late to make the September issue of this newsletter. Carl Wenning was presented in absentia with the FIRST PLACE Mabel Stern Newsletter Editor Award in the form of a large plaque during Astronomical League awards banquet. Carl was recognized as second place 2016 Mabel Sterns Newsletter Editor Award winner in Arlington, VA, during ALCon 2016. This is not the first time that the TCAA’s newsletter has been recognized as the top newsletter in the nation. Jean Memken & Mike Rogers, earlier editors of this newsletter, received the inaugural Mabel Sterns Newsletter Editor Award in 1999. Ours is the only newsletter in the Astronomical League to be so recognized twice. That says something not only about the editors of this club, but about those who contribute to this newsletter. Since he became the newsletter editor in January 2014, Carl has prepared 46 issues of this newsletter (including the current issue) with the help of many club members. During this time, he has assembled 864 pages containing some 11,700 paragraphs, 42,700 lines, 372,000 words, and 2,223,000 characters. The newsletter has grown from an average of 12.58 pages per issue in 2014, to 19.83 in 2015, to 21.08 in 2016, and to 22.2 thus far in 2017. The number of pages per issue continues to climb as do the number of contributors on a yearly basis.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

The editor humbly accepts this award on behalf of the TCAA membership, many of whom have worked long and hard to contribute to the success of this publication. Contributors over the past four years have been current and former members Tom Weiland, Tim Stone, Bob Finnigan, Dave Osenga, Duane Yockey, Jim Gibbs, Lee Green, Brad Welch, Chris Franklin, Vivian Hoette, Kevin Brown, Taylor Cisco, Darren Erickson, Goeff Hughes, Mark & Nataya Boulware, Dave Peters, Craig Prost, Scott Woodrum, Tony Cellini, Paul Pouliot, Brian Barling, Darren Drake, Lisa Wentzel, Terry Lee Wright, Jamey Jenkins, Daniel Kates, Tom Willmitch, John Werner, John Mori, Allan Saaf, Dave Meyer, Sharon MacDonald, Matthew Will, Ken Kashian, and – of course – the editor. Each has played a part – some small, others large – in the production of this award-winning newsletter. Thanks to all for their contributions on behalf of the membership.

TH MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 19 BOARD MEETING

The meeting was called to order at the Wenning • As Darren Erickson was not present, “Post–POS Season residence in Normal at 6:30PM. In attendance were Tim Observing Groups” and “Club Regalia” were tabled. Stone, Carl Wenning, Dave Osenga, Bob Finnigan, Jim Gibbs, • Carl noted that Lee Green and he will deal with the Lisa & Dick Wentzel, and Tom Willmitch. Two additional Bloomington Public Library’s request for a sun program items were added to the proposed agenda. Attention was and solar observing on September 23rd. Lisa noted that turned first to the officer and chair reports. she and Sharon MacDonald have the PEO talk of May 17, Tim noted that the 17” was online again, but that the 2018 in their schedule books. 16” is having problems. The 20” and 10” are working • Dave agreed to further review Carl’s recently drafted properly. He profusely thanked Bob for managing the TCAA Guide #7 – Buying Binoculars & Telescopes. construction work at Waynesville Observatory; the Board Several mentioned the need to prepare a table with joined in on commending Bob. Darren Erickson was not basic information so not every has to slog their way present for the meeting and no report was forwarded. Carl through the entire 14-page document. Carl agreed to noted that the newsletter contained the prior meeting produce a transitional section with Dave’s assistance. minutes and that that work on the newsletter continues • It was agreed that our Sidewalk Astronomy program apace. At this point Tim interjected that Carl had received should continue during the summer months of 2018. the Mabel Sterns Newsletter Editor Award from the Carl will check into a schedule for such sessions. Astronomical League, and he was roundly congratulated by everyone on his work. Dave reported on the financial status Addressing new business, the following points were addressed and made: of the club which remains good. He pointed out that the club had brought in $976 for the “sale” of the eclipse guide and a • The draft 2018 Public Viewing Session brochure was few donated eclipse shades. All but 17 copies of the guide reviewed and approved in concept. Carl will flesh out had been accounted for according to Carl. Bob noted that we the titles and descriptors. The schedule will have to be will have enough money in the bank for finish paying for the approved by SGNC before we can “go to press” with the Waynesville Observatory. Bob interjected that the publication. Tim agreed to talk about “Astronomy of observatory, 24” telescope, and mount were all but paid for. One Constellation” (March) and “Globular Clusters” Bob further noted that he’ll need Dave to get him the (October). Carl agreed to present “Perseid Meteor membership list so it can be forwarded to the AL in October. Shower” (August). Other volunteer speakers are needed. Jim noted that he’s working on an observing program article • Carl noted that Bloomington Offset Press Inc. (BOPI) will for the newsletter. Lisa noted that she has been in contact once again be offering their Print4Good program, with with Corn Belt Electric having attended one of their picnics. publication some time in December. Last year they She spoke to the editor of their educational publications provided us with 2,000 POS brochures. Carl will pursue who “seemed friendly and interested” in sharing light information and might work with Tom’s daughter to pollution information. Tom noted that he has a new prepare the required format for printing. planetarium program, and has other ideas in the offing for • Tim noted that planning for the Annual Meeting needs TCAA members. Neither Justin Meyer nor Lee Green were to commence. It was agreed to hold the event in the present at the meeting and no reports were forwarded. Normal Township Hall once again if this can be arranged. Addressing old business, the following points were The caterer, Nelsons of Springfield, will be used again if addressed and made: possible. The date of Saturday, February 3rd, was • Carl noted that the library has been removed from SGO, suggested, with Dave given leave to set that actual date and the few remaining books will be given to one of the and make reservations. Tim has a speaker in mind, and local libraries for their book sales. has been given the “go ahead” to make arrangements • Tim noted no progress has been made in getting keys for the speaker and a possible honorarium. for the storage cabinet in SGO. Copyright © 2017 TCAA 6 All rights reserved.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

• Bob and Lisa agreed to serve on the nominations • Bob reported that he had hear from our WO General committee again this year. Tim will put out a call for Contractor that there is movement afoot to build a Board member nominations (including self-nominations) windfarm to the east, south, and west of Waynesville in his president’s letter to appear in the October issue of Observatory. Bob noted that we have 3 opportunities to the newsletter. fight any nearby light polluting lamps. First, a roll-back • Dave provided a summary of the sale of eclipse guides. from a state-imposed 1.5-mile setback is required for We lost about $75 dollars in the proposition, not bad cities and town by state law. Second, the proposal for a considering the public good. Remaining copies (about wind farm has to pass the zoning board of DeWitt 50) will be made available to club members, local County. He also noted that, in this area, no lights would libraries, and interested others. be required as there are no airports or flight ways in the • Carl noted that he had been speaking with Matthew Will, area. Lisa will look into drafting a letter on behalf of the a TCAAer and member of the Sangamon Astronomical club to get the ball rolling to find any potential light Society (SAS). It was agreed that the TCAA would enjoy a pollution intruding upon our dark space. We need to be th joint meeting with SAS at Bonanza in Lincoln. Carl was able to act by as early as October 7 when the town of directed to work with Matthew to arrange such an Waynesville Board will consider this action. event at a mutually-agreeable point in time. • With the recent concerns raise about who can sign • Dave noted that SGNC’s Autumn Fest will take place on checks for the TCAA, Tim noted his reticence in signing Saturday, October 21st. Tim will arrange for both any club checks for any reason unless the Board coverage of the club’s open house and provide guidance stipulates that the TCAA President should be allowed to for materials for display/give away. sign checks in the event of an emergency situation. Carl • It was reported that Sharon MacDonald had received a stated, “I propose that the president be made co-signer note from Lenore Trainor’s daughter Katrina that the of checks in the event of an emergency situation where family has agreed to turn over Lenore’s equipment to the Treasurer is incapacitated or otherwise unable to the club. Carl noted that this would be good equipment perform duties.” The motion was seconded by Jim. and recommended that the club accept the donation Hearing no further discussion, the motion was reserving the right to use or dispose of the equipment in unanimously approved by the Board. any way the Board sees fit. The suggestion was accepted • The date of the next meeting was set as November 14, subject to current club policy on donations. 2017, to be held at the Wenning residence. • Carl further noted that a friend of his has offered a number of framed prints for door prizes and giveaways The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM. as the club sees fit. This offer was also accepted subject to the current club policy on donations. Respectfully submitted, • Discussions about future aurora and eclipse watching Carl J. Wenning, Secretary trips were tabled to make way for two rather more important topics.

ASTROBITS – NEWS FROM AROUND THE TCAA

ó We are now working on the 2018 public viewing session brochure. This brochure is assembled each year by your editor using ideas from the membership. If you are interested, willing, and able to present a topic this coming year, please email the editor with your title and a 1-2 sentence description. Note that this year we had 2,000 POS brochures published free of charge through BOPI’s Print4Good campaign. BOPI’s owner, Tom Mercier, will once again be running their Print4Good campaign, with publication on December 7th. We need to move ahead with preparation of the final document. Email your talk ideas to [email protected] as soon as reasonably possible. ó The eerie brownish sky and orange sun of Labor Day has a simple explanation. As Tim Stone noted, “This afternoon, on my way back from visiting the National Museum of the United States Air Force, I received a phone call from my brother asking why the sun was so dim and orange in the sky. He told me he could see sunspots on its disk, which let me know that the sun's brightness in Bloomington/Normal was greatly diminished. I speculated that overcast and smoke from Montana forest fires was having this effect. Indeed, it wasn't more than a half hour later that the sun began to diminish in brightness and become distinctly orange where I was in eastern Indiana. Shortly thereafter, I could see the same sunspots he could see, though the sun was still some 20 degrees high in the sky. As I got back on the road and headed westward, the sun had faded to a very dim red orb in the sky, and finally was invisible, after not more than a half hour. The sunspots were the gigantic active regions 2673 and 2674. They were distinctly visible to my naked eye. It's not often that sunspots can be seen this way, and I was quite glad my brother called me!”

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

Labor Day image of the sun by Greg Love of Normal Concurrent image of sun by SOHO

ó An initial accounting of the “sale” of eclipse guides by the TCAA shows the following: (1) the club spent $1,050 to acquire 200 eclipse guides at $5.25 each during September 2016; (2) during subsequent months (October 16, May, July, and August 2017) the club brought in $976 in income (including about $16 for eclipse shades donated by a member); (3) there were 54 eclipse guides at the end of the period. We appear to have lost about $75 on this venture. ó Bob Finnigan has been chronicling the construction of Waynesville Observatory with images on the TCAA forum. Only a few of his images have been shown in The OBSERVER during the past. If you would like to see all his images, including the latest, check out Bob’s archive on the TCAA Forum at https://tcaa.clubforums.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=167 ó Bob Finnigan provided this image of the interior of the new Waynesville Observatory observing room. Image taken on Saturday, September 9th. Tables, chairs, computers, and cabling is next. ó The September edition of this newsletter was re-distributed on September 12th as a higher-resolution PDF. With Lee Green’s assistance and using Adobe’s Acrobat Pro software, the issue was converted to a larger PDF that preserved the original image quality much better. The difference is very easy to note. If you did not receive this updated release, you may download it from the TCAA forum. ó At the request of a Facebook post asking for guidance about purchasing a telescope for Christmas, Control room for Waynesville Observatory Carl Wenning has taken it upon himself to create the new TCAA Guide #7 – Buying Binoculars & Telescopes. This approach to answering the online question followed the completion of TCAA Guide #6 – Have a Successful Observing Session – written recently by Jamey Jenkins. (See article on page 11). Buying Binoculars & Telescopes is now in a draft version; it can be found online at http://www.carlwenning.net/Buying_Binoculars_&_Telescopes.pdf. Carl would appreciate getting feedback to improve the document. If you’d like an MS Word version of the 15-page document for editing purposes, please contact Carl directly at [email protected].

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

ó The TCAA library is no more. A movement to disband the unused collection began several months ago with the approval of the TCAA Board of Directors. The library, reposed in SGO since 2000, had done little more than gather dust over the years. The library began in the 1960s with club members donating unwanted books to the collection. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, Eugene Sutton gave a large donation which constituted the bulk of the library over the remainder of its life. In its heyday, the collection contained over 100 books. The books aged and the Internet began providing up-to-the-moment information. As a result, the library went unused. Over the summer, TCAA members were asked to take any books they wanted from the collection. The remaining unwanted books were removed from SGO by Carolyn & Carl Wenning on September 16, 2017. Remaining books were given to the Normal Public Library for either book sales or disposal. ó Work continues as Waynesville Observatory. On September 16th, Bob Finnigan provided the adjoining image with the comment that staining and wiring for the telescopes is the only thing that remains to be accomplished. ó Ten years after her passing, the family of former TCAA member Lenore Trainor has donated her astronomical materials to the TCAA to be used as the Board considers best. Sharon MacDonald and Carl Wenning received the following items in Lenore’s honor on th Wednesday, September 20 : a WO Control room nearing completion 10.1” Coulter Odyssey compact telescope with Telrad finder, Meade 1.25” eyepieces: 40mm Plössl, 20mm Super Plössl, 18mm Super Wide Angle, and 12.4mm Super Plössl, Coulter Optical eyepieces: 6mm Kellner, 12mm Kellner, and 18mm Kellner; Orion variable polarizer; Lumicon OIII filter; and 38 books, booklets, fliers, and magazines; one planisphere; one set of Rainbow Symphony red/blue 3-D glasses; two sets of George R. Kepple’s Messier AstroCards; and one astronomical- themed facial tissue box cover. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Trainor family. The donation of this low- profile, low-power, wide-field telescope might well make for the perfect loaner instrument, and the largest in the club’s inventory. ó Former TCAA member Darren Drake is well known for his “Throw-Back Thursday” pictures. Here is a shot of the DayStar 16” telescope the club purchased from the president of the DAAC back in the 1980s before the TCAA had an observatory. It was the club’s first major acquisition. Thanks to Darren for sharing. Darren Drake standing astride TCAA’s DS 16" telescope ó During the next few months TCAA members will likely be seeing a visitor from Indonesia. Doctoral candidate Ika Mustika Sari will be at ISU as a visiting scholar. She will be staying with the Wenning’s in their home. As most of you know, Carl conducts workshops and gives talks at Indonesian universities from time-to-time. ó The new 24’ x 30’ CUAS roll-off-roof observatory is nearing completion. On the next page are four of a number of images sent to your editor recently. Their facility is considerably larger than Prairie Sky Observatory, and it should be interesting to see what they do with it! Current plans call for the installation of a 14” Celestron telescope. Hopefully we can visit this facility sometime in the not too Ika Mustika Sari distant future. Congratulations to our compadres in Champaign-Urbana on job well done!

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

ó Lee Green’s Internet server which holds the TCAA website was out of commission from Wednesday, September 20th, until Friday, September 22nd. Lee was making updates to the computer system when an update failed. After rebooting and trying again, the update failed yet again. After working with the system for a couple of days, Lee was able to get the system up and running once again. Thanks, Lee, for providing free hosting service on your server for the benefit of the TCAA and all who visit the web pages you maintain on behalf of the club. ó A recent note from Stacey Shrewsbury at the Challenger Learning Center indicated that they had netted about $2,500 of income from the distribution of the 2017 total solar eclipse guide. Most guides, other than those purchased by the TCAA and its members, were sold during the last week before the event. It appears people were acquiring the guides because they wanted the solar eclipse glasses contained within. While the guide was useful for teacher workshops, Stacey explained, a better fundraiser next time will likely be the sale of solar eclipse glasses rather than the sale of guides. This is a good point to keep in mind for the TCAA. In light of this information, there are no plans to update the 2017 guide for use in 2024. ó In late-breaking news, the Challenger Learning Center has agreed to take the TCAA’s “unsold” copies of The Great Eclipse August 21, 2017 booklet. Amounting to about 50 copies, these will be used in 2024 during teacher workshops associated with the total solar eclipse visible from Illinois that year. This is certainly a better use of the guides than recycling them. ó A recent tabulation of TCAA members (September 28, 2017) shows that we have 59 households enrolled in this club. ó Bob Finnigan continues to document the construction of Waynesville Observatory. Below are two images from Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th, showing the status of the roof construction on the roll-off-observatory. He, Tim Stone, Tony Cellini, and several others were present for the offloading of the roof on Friday afternoon. Assembly of the Pier-Tech roof was done by a local contractor. The facility will house both the 16” AG Optical telescope and 10” Takahashi. The round pad will hold a 13’ diameter clamshell dome and will house the new 24” f/11 telescope.

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TCAA GUIDES TO AMATEUR ASTRONOMY GROWS IN NUMBER

The number of TCAA Guides to amateur astronomy has just increased from five to six. TCAA member Jamey Jenkins recently contributed Guide #6 – HAVE A SUCCESSFUL OBSERVING SESSION. This Guide is a reproduction of his excellent article by the same name that appeared in the September 2017 issue of AL’s Reflector magazine. This guide provides information about the seven p’s required for having a successful observing session: passion, preparation, programs, planning, perseverance, patience, and presentation. Congratulations to Jamey for publication of his excellent article. To read Jamey’s article reformulated as a TCAA Guide, retrieve it from the TCAA website at http://tcaa.us/TCAAGuides.aspx. As noted above, a seventh publication, TCAA Guide #7 – Buying Binoculars & Telescopes – is in a draft state and will soon join the other six. Both of these guides join five others that are geared to recruit and improve the experiences of new amateur astronomers. The five prior TCAA Guides to Amateur Astronomy are as follows:

Guide #1 – INTRODUCTION TO AMATEUR ASTRONOMY This guide addresses the basics that everyone needs to know in order to become an amateur astronomer. It deals with the use of eyes, binoculars, and telescopes to view the night sky. It should not be mistaken for a textbook in astronomy.

Guide #2 – MEMBERSHIP AND BENEFITS Even long-time members do not know everything they need to know about membership in this club. Many benefits are overlooked and this publication does what it can to clearly illustrate the benefits of membership.

Guide #3 – ASTRONOMY AS A HOBBY Why is it that we don’t attract as many amateur astronomers as we would like? Our club has lots of great benefits, and it’s more the just lack of knowledge of benefits. Part of the problem today stems from the fact that many people don’t understand the meaning of a hobby and the benefits derived from it.

Guide #4 – THE ART OF SKY INTERPRETATION Interpreting the sky requires more than just standing in front of a group of people and talking. If it were that easy, there would be many more speakers in our club! There is an art of sky interpretation, and this guide describes it. Even if one doesn't intend to give public talks, this guide provides a wealth of information about what can be seen in the sky with the unaided eye.

Guide #5 – COORDINATING OBSERVING SESSIONS While coordinating observing sessions might appear to be an easy task to those who attend them, there is considerable background work associated with both public and members-only sessions. Consider hosting an observing session and use this guide to assist.

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ORDER YOUR RASC OBSERVER'S HANDBOOK 2018

A group of observers and imagers from different clubs in the area will put together an order to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada to purchase the Observer’s Handbook 2018 and hopefully get enough order to get a nice discounted price. The discounted price for last year was $18.00. Sky & Telescope sells each copy for $28 plus S&H of $6 a total of $34; the RASC web Site has it also at $27.95 plus S&H. If we get a large enough order this year, the cost will be around $20 – a 42% discount. The book ships out in December and will be available in early January. Last year Carl Wenning was gracious to have the members who ordered pick up their book at his house. Carl is okay with this again, so we can do the same this year. You will pay Carl when you pick up your copy. Please let me know if you are interested by October 9th. Email me at [email protected] and indicate how many copies you would like to order.

SUMMER PICNIC REPORT

The TCAA’s summer picnic on September 9th was attended by 21 members, fair skies, and pleasant weather. The theme of the event was Octoberfest given the time of year and our hosts’ German and Bohemian heritages. The event began with early arrival and set up at 5:30 PM. Dining commenced at 6:00 PM in the backyard, with members gathered around three tables. Given the many comments, the big hits of the evening were Tony’s pulled pork and home brewed beer, and Carl’s Weiner schnitzel and German potato salad. The favorite topic of discussion was the recent total solar eclipse – where people went and Romeo the Mystery Cat what they observed (or didn’t observe). The evening air was cool – almost chilly – by the time guest began to depart around 8:30 PM. A few guests lingered until about 9:00 PM. A great time was had by all. In attendance were the following: Tim Stone; Tom & Carolyn Weiland; Bob Finnigan; Sharon MacDonald; Lisa, Dick, & Sally Wentzel; Matthew Will; Tony Cellini; Mark Boulware; Dave & Donna Osenga; Vivian & Chuck Hoette; Geoff Hughes; Lee Green; Brian Barling; Paul Pouliot; and our hosts Carl & Carolyn Wenning. Thanks to Bob Finnigan and Carolyn Wenning for the images. By the way, we must not forget about Romeo – the Magical Mystery Cat – who made several cameo appearances, splitting his time roughly equally between greeting visitors and chasing rabbits.

Entrées included Carl’s schnitzel, sauerkraut and kielbasa, bratwursts, and pulled pork with sauces (both provided by Tony Cellini). Sides included Carl’s German potato salad, Carolyn’s glazed carrots, and spätzle noodles. Dessert consisted of apple and cherry turnovers, and a surprise birthday cake for Lisa Wentzel whose birthday was the following day. Water and lemonade were provided, and many brought additional refreshments such a beer and wine.

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Carolyn Wenning speaks with Vivian Hoette while Sally Wentzel Sharon appears to be lecturing Carl Wenning on the finer points of looks on. Lisa Wentzel and Lee Green are engaged in discussion. something – but not German cooking. Dick Wentzel sits between Sharon MacDonald looks seriously engaged in discussion. Vivian Hoette and Carolyn W., exhausted from cooking all the brats!

Surely Tony Cellini is lecturing everyone on the fine points of making Conscience again, Dave Osenga clearly has had too much to eat. He smoked pulled pork. Paul Pouliot, Brian Barling, Tim Stone, Geoff really loaded up on Carl’s German potato salad! He had to make up Hughes, and Donna Osenga look on. Dave Osenga is in a food- for weight loss resulting from too much exercise recently. Matthew induced comma nearly off camera to the lower right! Will talks with Tom Weiland in the background.

ISU PLANETARIUM PRESENTS FROM EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE!

The Illinois State University Planetarium is pleased to present From Earth to the Universe, running weekends from September 22 through November 18. Show times are Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays at 2 PM and 7:30 PM. There are no presentations October 27-28. The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. Now, experience this journey of celestial discovery. Travel from the world of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes. Then journey to the various worlds in the Solar System and experience the ferocity of the scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe then leaves our home to take you to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out, beyond the Milky Way, to the unimaginable immensity of the Universe. Admission to the ISU Planetarium is $4 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12 and seniors, and $2.00 for children ages 3-4. Tickets may be purchased in the Planetarium Gift Shop, next to the Planetarium, beginning 20 minutes before each show.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

TCAA PHOTO GALLERY

JAMEY JENKINS (SEPTEMBER 8) - Jamey remarked, “The big sunspot groups are approaching the west solar limb. Here are two views obtained this afternoon in Calcium light through the 125mm refractor at prime focus (f/18). Attempted to capture the views a bit later in Hα but the seeing deteriorated to a rolling, boiling mush.”

EDUCATION & PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR SEPTEMBER 2017

Saturday, September 23rd, was a busy one. The day began with a talk about amateur astronomy in general followed by solar observing. Lee Green gave his talk “The Stars are Out of This World” in the Bloomington Public Library’s community room at 11:00AM. According to our host Rachel Park, there were 27 who attended Lee’s talk. Carl Wenning provided views of the sun afterward on the sidewalk to the north of the library. One large, fully-developed sunspot was present for viewing. Warm and humid conditions attended the public viewing session at SGNC later that same evening. The seventh public viewing session of the year commenced at 7:35 PM with Tim Stone speaking about the Emission Nebulae of the Milky Way. The sky started off partly cloudy, worsened, and then cleared near the end of the viewing session. Approximately 70 were in attendance including the following TCAA members: Tony Cellini, Paul Pouliot, Bryce & Mark Heiniger, Mark & Nataya Boulware, Peter & Daniel Kates, Lee Green, Tim Stone, Lisa Wentzel, Tom Weiland, Geoff Hughes, Jamey Jenkins, Tom Willmitch, Carl Wenning, Michael Starasta, and new member Danny Gillette from Morton. The following night, Sunday, September 24th, Lee Green and Tim Stone attended an event at Sugar Creek Community Church. This was perhaps the 5th time our members have presented to this group. Our TCAAers stared the evening at 7PM with views of the Moon and Saturn. According to Lee, “By the time they got through, it was dark enough to move to double stars and, soon thereafter, to clusters.” Both Lee and Tim brought telescopes with them for the presentation.

TH OCTOBER 14 EIGHTH AND FINAL PVS OF 2017

The eighth and final public viewing session for 2017 will take place on Saturday, October 14th. The presentation is titled The Andromeda Galaxy, and will be delivered by Nataya & Mark Boulware. The event will run from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The program has been described as follows, “The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light years from Earth. It is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way.”

Each public observing session includes the following:

• Lecture about the featured object or topic. This 20- to 30-minute presentation, held in the Sugar Grove Nature Center picnic shelter, includes images of and details about the featured sky object or topic as well as information about other interesting objects that might be viewed that evening. • Sky tour using a laser pointer. We step out under the stars to point out the major constellations and planets, and to designate the location of the featured celestial object for the evening if appropriate. • Telescope observing session. We use a wide variety of telescopes at ground level to observe the wonders of the heavens. The Sugar Grove Observatory has an “open house”. Visit to see what’s happening there.

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Here is a list of other things to know about our public observing programs:

• Programs will be held even in the event of an overcast sky; active rain, however, will cause a cancellation of the event. On cloudy evenings, the presentation will be given and tours of the Sugar Grove and/or Prairie Sky observatories will be available. Additionally, various images taken by TCAA astrophotographers will be shared via computer display in one of the observatories. • Please dress warmly during cooler months. These are outdoor events; none of the buildings we use are heated. • Please be very careful when driving into and out of the Sugar Grove Nature Center parking lot. At all times there are people, including small children, walking from place to place in the dark. Please park so that your headlights are aimed away from the picnic shelter and telescopes. • You may bring along a flashlight if you wish, but be certain to cover the lens with a red filter so that observers’ dark adaptation isn’t adversely affected. Please aim your flashlight at the ground only. • Please leave pets at home.

You may download an official version of the schedule of 2017 PVS events at www.carlwenning.net/POS_2017.pdf

FIELDS OF VIEW COMPARISON OF TCAA PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATFORMS ~ by Tim Stone ~

It’s rare that we have images of the same object taken with all four of our photographic instruments. In fact, these images of NGC 6914 (shown on the next page) might be the only such example. They include an image taken with the 17” in 2015, the 16” in 2016, and the 10” and 20” in 2017. Together they offer an opportunity to visualize some of the differences between these systems. Each of these images is shown at the same full frame size. This was easily done because all the systems use the same sensor, the Kodak KAF16803, a 4096x4096 pixel CCD sensor with 9µ pixels. With identically sized pixels on all the systems, the difference in field of view becomes a simple ratio of the focal lengths of the telescopes to which the cameras are attached. The table below shows the focal lengths, arc seconds per pixel, and width/height of the system’s field of view. It also includes the same information estimated for the new 24” f/11 system.

Telescope Focal Length (mm) “/px FOV (°) 10” 901 2.07 2.34 16” 1560 1.19 1.35 17” 2939 0.54 0.72 20” 3454 0.63 0.61 24” 6706 0.28 0.31

To illustrate the 24” field of view, I cropped the 20” image and resized it so the image shows approximately what the 24” will see. The 24” focal length is nearly double the 20”. While that might seem like a lot, it’s helpful to remember that the standard high-end amateur imaging platform up until Ritchey–Chrétien Optical Systems was acquired and exited the amateur astronomy market, was their 24” f/9 model, only about 1200 millimeters shorter than the focal length of our 24”. It will certainly be challenging to image with the new system, but I’m really looking forward to learning its capabilities and potentially seeing objects in much more detail than we have been able to achieve to date!

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

OBSERVING SPECTRA IN URSA MAJOR ~ by Jamey Jenkins ~

These cool fall evenings invite a view in the northwest sky of an asterism many observers first learn at an early age, the stars of the Big Dipper. The Dipper is part of a collection of nearby stars with a common origin, proper motion, and composition. Known as the Ursa Major Moving Group, the Ursa Major association, or as Collinder 285, all the stars formed about 300 million years ago. The center of the group is located some 80 light years distant with most of the brighter stars forming the Dipper. [Wiki] As a fun project exploring the Dipper stars’ spectral characteristics, I spent an evening or two this past summer acquiring low-resolution spectrograms of all the members forming the Big “D”. Included here is a composite of the strip spectrum of each member star with the prominent Hydrogen Balmer lines identified, as well as the ever present Telluric (atmospheric) lines in the deep red to near infrared. Professionals tell us that Alkaid and Dubhe are not members of the Ursa Major Moving Group, a fact further confirmed by their spectral class and the duller appearance of the Balmer lines in their spectrum. Group members are a class A with strong Hydrogen lines, while Alkaid and Dubhe presenting less dominant Balmer lines are of class B and F. Take a few moments after twilight one evening soon, and visualize these stars moving together in unison as though performing a grand ballroom dance. It might be a perspective you’ve never considered for the Big Dipper.

Vol. 42, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2017

TCAA ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Did you know that the TCAA is on both Facebook and Twitter? We encourage users of both social networks to follow the TCAA to see what the club is doing. If you have not yet joined us on Facebook, you are missing important reminders about astronomical events posted several times weekly. You can find us on Facebook by searching either TCAA or Twin City Amateur Astronomers. We can be found on Twitter at @TC_Astro.

HOWTIMEFLIES

The Twin City Amateur Astronomers was founded in 1960 through the efforts of John & Bertha Kieviet. Over the years, newsletter editors David B. Williams, G. Weldon Schuette, Garry Skinner, Jim Moncher, Mike Rogers & Jean Memken, Rebecca Wenning, and Erin Estabrook (as well as other contributors) documented the efforts of the club. Now, TCAA Editor and Historian Carl Wenning continues that effort and provides monthly updates about the history of the club going back in intervals of 40, 25, and 10 years. Details about all mentioned events will be found in either the publication Twin City Amateur Astronomers: 1960-2010 or in The OBSERVER archive found on the TCAA website.

40 Years Ago: October 1977 – The club continues its many observing and social activities, some involving both the Peoria and Chicago Astronomical Societies. A star party at the Roland van Zandt Observatory was slated for the 10th, and Messier observing held locally for the following days. TCAAers were invited to attend the Annual Banquet of the Peoria Astronomical Society on September 22nd.

25 Years Ago: October 1992 – Club members are now making plans to view the total eclipse of the sun from Bolivia on November 3, 1994. The TCAA hosted a small astronomy display at the Science Open House on October 17th hosted by the Departments of Physics, Biology, and Chemistry at ISU.

10 Years Ago: October 2007 – TCAA members attended the DAAC Jamboree at Friends Creek Conservation Area on October 6th. The TCAA is selected by NASA to become part of its Night Sky Network. Carl Wenning acquires a Coronado PST telescope for viewing the sun in Hα light.

RENEWING YOUR TCAA MEMBERSHIP

The TCAA works to promote in every way among its members and the public an interest in and knowledge of astronomy and its allied sciences, to advance amateur astronomy and observational techniques, to render assistance to other individuals or organizations working in the same or related fields, and to do everything necessary and proper to further such on a formal or informal basis. The TCAA is a Federally recognized non-profit entity organized exclusively for education and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. The TCAA currently supports family friendly public observing sessions at SGNC, public outreach events such as the recent May 9, 2016 transit of Mercury and the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse field trip, hosting of NCRAL meetings (2010 and 2016), September mini conferences, and education courses for our membership and the public. The TCAA maintains three observatories including payment of insurance, and publishes an award-winning club newsletter. We support Sugar Grove Nature Center through their membership program, maintain a loaner telescope program, and provide many other benefits as outlined in TCAA Guide #2 – Membership and Benefits. Your TCAA membership supports education and public outreach in Central Illinois and regions beyond. Membership dues and the generosity of its members are the club’s primary means of financial support. We receive no grants or public funds. We have unmet needs. By renewing your membership when it comes due, you can help to ensure our continuing efforts.

NOTE: THE EDITOR WILL BE TRAVELING LATE THIS MONTH. AS A RESULT, THE NEXT ISSUE OF TH THE OBSERVER WILL BE PUBLISHED SOMETIME AFTER NOVEMBER 5 . PLEASE SEND CONTRIBUTIONS AS USUAL.

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TCAA TREASURER’S REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2017

Checking Account Information

Memo Category Amount

BALANCE 08/31/2017 10,678.59 Electrical Parts Waynesville Observatory (299.50) To show activity in the savings account Transfer from Savings 1,000.00 Anonymous Donation 5,000.00 Roll Off Roof Payment Waynesville Observatory (8,000.00) Balance Payment Credit Card (49.00) Construction Labor Waynesville Observatory (1,850.00) Electrical Parts and Labor Waynesville Observatory (4,692.67) Jeffery Struve Dues Received 25.13 To increase checking account balance Transfer from Savings 2,500.00 Roll Off Roof Payment - Final Waynesville Observatory (3,470.00) Geoff Hughes Dues Received 25.00 Jim Gibbs Dues Received 40.00 Michael Starasta Dues Received 39.80 Lisa Wetzel Dues Received 39.80 To increase checking account balance Transfer from Savings 1,500.00 Construction Labor Waynesville Observatory (1,765.00) BALANCE 09/28/2017 722.15

TOTAL INFLOWS 10,169.73

TOTAL OUTFLOWS (20,126.17)

MONTHLY NET TOTAL (9,956.44)

Checking Account Balance – September 28, 2017 $722.15 Savings Account Balance – September 28, 2017 $5,016.70 - Includes $0.00 interest

Total TCAA Funds – August 31, 2017 $5,738.85

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

Respectfully submitted, Dave Osenga