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December 2010 the vol. 37 no. 12 December Skyscraper 2010 Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island 47 Peeptoad Road North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857 www.theSkyscrapers.org December Holiday Party & Seagrave Memorial Meeting with Dennis di Cicco Observatory is open to the public Saturday, December 4, 7:00pm at North weather permitting Scituate Community Center Saturdays 7pm - 9:00pm We are continuing our Skyscrapers tra- from Canis Major to Perseus made with Please note that the observatory may be inac- dition and will be holding our December deep exposures in hydrogen-alpha light. cessible for several weeks following a winter Meeting on the Saturday (Dec. 4th) at 7:00 Between October and January the speaker storm. See web site for updates. rather than our normal Friday. Our meeting made approximately 130 hours of exposure will be at the Scituate Community Center, from his backyard observatory in Sudbury, as it will be from December through April. Massachusetts. In the weeks that followed, North Scituate We are planning to have a Pot Luck Dinner, Sean spent an equal amount of time assem- Community Center and past years have proven that many of bling the 25-frame mosaic, which, if printed All of our winter meetings (Dec-Mar) are held our members are not only astronomically at it’s native resolution, would make a print at the Community Center. From Seagrave capable but gastronomically proficient as nearly 12 feet square. The image shows many Observatory, the Community Center is the first well. large-scale nebulous structures that are all building on the right side going south on Rt. We have planned on providing the but unknown to observers. This popular- 116 after the intersection of Rt. 6 Bypass (also coffee, hot chocolate, apple cider, and some level talk will explain how the mosaic was Rt. 101) and Rt. 116. Parking is across the street. pastries. The Saturday date was decided made and why it’s not the kind of project upon years ago to allow those planning a that sane people should attempt. homemade dish sufficient time to prepare them, and to provide our members adequate In this issue… time to arrive. Let me know what food item you plan to bring so that our efforts can be 2 President’s Message coordinated and we don’t end up with too much of any one item. You can contact me 3 A Great Month for via e-mail at [email protected] or Astronomy Enthusiasts call me at 401-489-1957. 4 Sky Notes Fun with 6 Billion Pixels: Building a 4 A “Star” That Wasn’t Huge Hydrogen-Alpha Mosaic of the Supposed to Be There Winter Milky Way Last winter the speaker and his colleague 6 Blue Rings around Sean Walker tackled their most ambitious Red Galaxies joint project yet -- creating an 85-degree- square mosaic of the Milky Way stretching 7 NGC 457 (the “ET Cluster”) Phases 8 November Reports of the 9 Membership Survey Moon 5 13 21 27 Other nOtable events: Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation on the 1st, and is 1.5deg S of M8, the Lagoon Nebula. Venus is at maximum illumination on the 4th. The Moon is 0.5deg S of Mars on the 6th. Geminid meteor shower peaks in the 14th. The Moon is 2deg S of the Pleiades on the 18th. Mercury is at inferior conjunction on the 19th. Total lunar eclipse on the 21st. Winter Solstice is on the 21st. Ursid meteor shower peaks on the 22nd. Double shadow transit on Jupiter on the 25th, 26th & 29th. 2 The Skyscraper December 2010 President’s Tom Thibault Message Dear Skyscrapers Members, dish sufficient time to prepare them, and Well, there no more denying it, winter is to provide our members adequate time to The Skyscraper is published monthly getting set to officially arrive. Less and less arrive. Let me know what food item you by Skyscrapers, Inc. Meetings are usually held on the first Friday of the leaves remain hanging from the trees and the plan to bring so that our efforts can be month. Public observing is usually grass has stopped growing. We even had our coordinated and we don’t end up with too held every Saturday night at Seagrave first snowfall. Though it was very minor and much of any one item. You can contact me Memorial Observatory, weather per- some may have not seen it, it still happened. via e-mail at [email protected] or mitting. We have now turned our clocks back an call me at 401-489-1957. hour and are now in standard time. We would like to organize Members President Many people would find this not the best Night activities at Seagrave in the upcoming Tom Thibault [email protected] news to be hearing, but for some of us who year. This month’s newsletter includes a 1st Vice President enjoy the evening skies it provides an oppor- Members Survey. Please take the time to John Briggs [email protected] tunity for increased viewing and a chance print a copy and answer the survey ques- to see some of the night sky’s best. What a tions. We will provide a return drop box at 2nd Vice President pleasure it can be to begin viewing by 6:00 our next few meetings or feel free to mail Steve Hubbard [email protected] pm rather than having to wait until past to: Skyscrapers Inc., 47 Peeptoad Rd., N. Secretary 9:00. It can get a bit chilly, but everything Scituate, RI., 02857, Attn. Members Survey. Ed Haskel [email protected] comes at a cost. So bundle up and get out We intend on utilizing the returned survey there. information to develop programs based on Treasurer We are continuing our Skyscrapers tra- our members’ interests. Feel free to provide Jim Crawford [email protected] dition and will be holding our December any suggestions you may have in regards to Members at Large th Meeting on the Saturday (Dec. 4 ) at 7:00 Members Night activities. We are requesting Mercedes Rivero [email protected] rather than our normal Friday. Our meeting the return of completed survey’s by the end Gene Kusmierz [email protected] will be at the Scituate Community Center, of February. as it will be from December through April. Lastly, our society recently showed our Trustees We are planning to have a Pot Luck Dinner, commitment to educating the public. Jim Brenek [email protected] Tom Barbish [email protected] and past years have proven that many of Historian Dave Huestis organized a Star Pat Landers [email protected] our members are not only astronomically Party for the Callahan Elementary School capable but gastronomically proficient as in Burrillville on November 12th. It was Star Party Coordinator well. beautiful night in which 12 member volun- Bob Forgiel [email protected] Now, if you’re like me, a person that teers participated. A chorus of Wow’s and Librarian should not be allowed near a stove, feel free Awesome’s were heard that evening from Amber Lesperance to bring your favorite prepared items from more than a hundred students and their professionals like Sarah Lee or Frito Lay. We families. Great job to Dave and all those Historian have planned on providing the coffee, hot who participated, I’m sure we’ve recruited a Dave Huestis [email protected] chocolate, apple cider, and some pastries. few future Skyscrapers that evening. Editor The Saturday date was decided upon years Clear Skies Jim Hendrickson [email protected] ago to allow those planning a homemade Tom Thibault Directions Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory are located on the back page of this newsletter. Submissions Here's a shot of the Helix Nebula that I just Submissions to The Skyscraper are took using the 16" Meade on the Mathis always welcome. Please submit mount. It is a 6 minute, unguided expo- items for the newsletter no later than sure using the H-a filter. The tracking is December 24 to Jim Hendrickson, 1 not "perfect" at 6 minutes, but it is pretty Sunflower Circle, North Providence, RI darn nice. The Helix was also in the part of 02911 or e-mail to jim@distantgalaxy. the sky illuminated by the I-way bridge. com. Next time, using the autoguider, the telescope should track perfectly for even E-mail subscriptions To receive The Skyscraper by e-mail, longer exposures. Photo by Bob Horton send e-mail with your name and ad- using the Meade 16-inch SCT at Barus and dress to [email protected]. Note Holley. that you will no longer receive the newsletter by postal mail. www.theSkyscrapers.org The Skyscraper December 2010 3 A Great Month for Astronomy Enthusiasts Dave Huestis Attention all stargazers! If you haven’t in speed, hitting our atmosphere at 21.75 hours of your time to enjoy this wonderful ventured outdoors to do any sky gazing miles per second. They are characterized and beautiful celestial event. recently, then the astronomical events for by their multicolored display (65% being The eclipse technically begins at 12:28 the month of December should entice you white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% am when the Moon slides into the Earth’s to do so. Yes, more than likely it is going to blue, red and green). These meteors also light penumbral shadow. Though this initial be quite cold out in the backyard or an open have a reputation for producing exploding phase is undetectable, as the Moon slides field, but a well prepared observer would meteors called fireballs.
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