PAS-Times The newsletter of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society March 2020 visit us online www.astronola.org Volume 61, Issue 3
Next PAS General Meeting "Triangulum Galaxy M33" Friday, March 6th - 7:30pm Photo of the Year 2019 UNO Science Bldg. Room 1001 submitted by: Philip Wollenberg PAS Times Volume 61, Issue 3 Page 2
President’s Message We do have a few Outreach events PAS Officers for 2020 By: Bill Johnson coming up in March and April. Details President: and locations are on the Astronola.com March- when we look toward the Website, and will be discussed at the Bill Johnson transition from Winter to Spring. The [email protected] next meeting. While most of us cannot nights are a bit warmer, and with it a make all of the events, I’m hoping you 1st Vice-President: few more bugs that were not quite as can make at least one of them to help Mike Danielson annoying last month. We look to the skies promote the PAS and the enjoyment of Program Chairman for things to observe and note the viewing the night sky. I hope you can [email protected] favorites of Winter seem to slowly give spare just 2 hours for one of these events. way to Spring constellations that were We do need at least 3-4 members with 2nd Vice-President: not as easy t view a month or two ago. telescopes to make the events successful. Kent Birkle The night sky is always changing. I hope Even if you don’t bring a scope, come out PAS-Times Editor you are getting out frequently and [email protected] and support the PAS at these events. We observing new and exciting things on a would love to have you out with us! regular basis. The thrill of observing Treasurer: never seems to get old. There is always John Scholl
[email protected] something new, that we never seemed to
be able to spot last time we were out Secretary: under the stars. TBA Archivist What have you recently observed that
[email protected] was a first time view for you? How about
sharing your impressions at the next SPMOS: member meeting. Ron Marella
Community Outreach:
Nanette Johnson [email protected]
ALCOR (Astronomy League):
Nanette Johnson [email protected]
Our next General meeting will be held on Friday, March 6th, at 7:30PM at UNO Science Building, Room 1001. Our own Dr. Greg Seab will be presenting. It should be an interesting March program. I hope to see all of you there. Don’t forget to bring a guest! Bill Johnson PAS President, 2018- 2020 PAS-Times Volume 61, Issue 3
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Secretary’s Report January 2020 General Meeting By: Caroline Herschel
Pontchartrain Astronomy Society Meeting Outline
February 7, 2020 Secretary Report With the Position of Secretary now Vacant, the Secretary Report will be handled by guest secretary, Caroline Herschel Call meeting to Order 7:30 pm – Welcome members and guests.
1) Officer Reports- (Motion to suspend officer reports) Mike Danielson - upcoming programs/plans. Kent Birkle – PAS Times – deadlines, submissions, etc. John Scholl – Treasury, Dues- Credit Card on web site. Secretary –anyone willing to take position? Ron Marcella, SPMOS Site Manager–Ron Marcella – SPMOS Nanette– ALCOR –Highlighted program
2) Old Business - None
3) New Business/ Upcoming events: Outreach events – Friday March 20th -Barataria Nature Preserve Setup begins 7:00PM -9PM Saturday March 21st – TerraBella Subdevision Covington setup begins 7:00PM – 9:00PM\ Friday March 27th Girl Scouts City Park Mona Lisa Dr- near circle Harrison and Diagonal Drive near Scout Island Map will be on Astronola Website. Friday April 17th Nola Nature School City Park Setup begins 7:00PM -9PM Friday April 24th Kenner Planetarium Hubble 30th Anniversary Time TBD Deep South Spring Scrimmage is scheduled for April 22-26 at Whitehorse. More details to come.
4) Open discussion-–In town Moon Star Party- was discussed February 29th Lakefront? Not much support for that weekend. Will look for another date. Upcoming event- date TBD Burgers & Star Party at SPMOS -5:30PM until Discussed Orion and Beetlejuice Red Supergiant Dimmer over last few months. No one knows why or what will happen or when. Still a very interesting celestial event to be noted. It’s 10M years old 700 LY away.
5) 8:10 Break 6) 8:20 Raffle 7) 8:30 Program –Barry Simon presenter- Topic- Southern Skies and Constellations – Differences from Northern Skies. 8) 9:20 Announcement that next meeting will be - March 6th 9) Other Business- none 10) 9:25 Adjourn Meeting PAS-Times Volume 61, Issue 3
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Dim Delights in Cancer By David Prosper Cancer the Crab is a dim constellation, yet it contains one of the most beautiful and easy-to-spot star clusters in our sky: the Beehive Cluster. Cancer also possesses one of the most studied exoplanets: the superhot super-Earth, 55 Cancri e.
Find Cancer's dim stars by looking in between the brighter neighboring constellationo of Gemini and Leo. Don't get frustrated if you can't find it at first, since Cancer isn't easily visible from moderately light polluted areas. Once you find Cancer, look for its most famous deep-sky object: the Beehive Cluster! It's a large open cluster of young stars, three times larger than our Moon in the sky. The Beehive is visible to unaided eyes under good sky conditions as a faint cloudy patch, but is stunning when viewed through binoculars or a wide-field telescope. It was one of the earliest deep-sky objects noticed by ancient astronomers, and so the Beehive has many other names, including Praesepe, Nubilum, M44, the Ghost, and Jishi qi. Take a look at it on a clear night through binoculars. Do these stars look like a hive of buzzing bees? Or do you see something else? There's no wrong answer, since this large star cluster has intrigued imaginative observers for thousands of years.
Artist concept of 55 Cancri e orbiting its nearby host star. Find NASA Night Sky Notes! details from the Spitzer Space Telescope's close study of its atmosphere at: bit.ly/spitzer55cancrie and the Hubble Space This article is distributed by NASA Night Sky Network Telescope's observations at bit.ly/hubble55cancrie Credit: The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the NASA/JPL-Caltech USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.org to find local clubs, events, and more!A PAS-Times Volume 61, Issue 3
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55 Cancri is a nearby binary star system, about 41 light years from us and faintly visible under excellent dark sky conditions. The larger star is orbited by at least five planets including 55 Cancri e, (a.k.a. Janssen, named after one of the first telescope makers). Janssen is a "super-earth," a large rocky world 8 times the mass of our Earth, and orbits its star every 18 hours, giving it one of the shortest years of all known planets! Janssen was the first exoplanet to have its atmosphere successfully analyzed. Both the Hubble and recently- retired Spitzer space telescopes confirmed that the hot world is enveloped by an atmosphere of helium and hydrogen with traces of hydrogen cyanide: not a likely place to find life, especially since the surface is probably scorching hot rock. The NASA Exoplanet Catalog has more details about this and many other exoplanets at bit.ly/nasa55cancrie.
How do astronomers find planets around other star systems? The Night Sky Network's "How We Find Planets" activity helps demonstrate both the transit and wobble methods of exoplanet detection: bit.ly/findplanets. Notably, 55 Cancri e was discovered via the wobble method in 2004, and then the transit method confirmed the planet's orbital period in 2011!
Want to learn more about exoplanets? Get the latest NASA news about worlds beyond our solar system at nasa.gov.
On the right...... Look for Cancer in between the "Sickle" or "Question Mark" of Leo and the bright twin stars of Gemini. You can't see the planets around 55
Cancri, but if skies are dark enough you can see the star itself. Can you see the Beehive Cluster? PAS-Times Volume 61, Issue 3
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Attend the 2020 DSSG Spring Scrimmage April 22nd - April 26th at Camp Whitehorse 2018 DSSG spring Scrimmage Photos by Mike Danielson PAS-Times Volume 61, Issue 3
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Upcoming Events PAS General Meeting Friday, March 6th. UNO Science Bldg. Room 1001 PAS Outreach Friday March 20th -Barataria Nature Preserve - 7-9PM Barataria Preserve Education Center 6588 Barataria Blvd. Marrero, LA
PAS Outreach Saturday March 21st – TerraBella Subdivision Covington 7–9PM
PAS Outreach Friday March 27th Girl Scouts Setup begins 7-9PM City Park Mona Lisa Dr- near circle Harrison and Diagonal Drive near Scout Island
PAS Outreach Friday April 17th Nature School - Setup begins 7-9PM City Park Mona Lisa Dr- near circle Harrison and Diagonal Drive near Scout Island
PAS Outreach Friday April 24th Kenner Planetarium Hubble 30th Anniversary
Deep South Spring Scrimmage April 22nd - 26th, 2020 - Camp Whitehorse
On the Cover 2020 Membership Renewal Form Photo of the Year 2019- Triangulum Galaxy M33 Date______Submitted by: Philip Wollenberg - Taken at White House Camp on a TV NP-101IS and G11 Name______Address______On the Back Cover City______St___ ZIP______Constellation Cancer from Urania's Mirror - A View of the Heaven Home Phone*______Work Phone*______
Occupation______E-mail Address______PAS 2020 General Meetings *Check here ____ if you DO NOT want March 6 your phone numbers published.
April 10 Membership Dues: May 8 (Calendar year per household) $40.00 ______June 5 (Calendar year per Student) $20.00 ______Optional Subscriptions: July 10 Sky & Telescope $32.95/yr $65.95 two years August 7 ___New ___Renewal ______September 4 Astronomy $34.00/yr or $60.00/2years October 2 ___New ___Renewal ______Mailed Newsletter $20.00/yr ______November 6 SPMOS Key Deposit $25 ______December 4 Only pay this if you do not have a Dorm key and want to obtain one. April 2020 Optional Donation: ______(Tax Deductible) PAS-Times Deadline Total Amount: ______
(Make check payable to PAS) Sunday, March 29th Mail to: Please submit all things astronomical to be included Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc. in the next edition of PAS- 16082 Lake Ramsey Rd. Times to the editor at the Covington, LA 70435 following address: Members can also renew their membership and pay dues on [email protected] the website. Here is the link: http://astronola.org/join.php Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc Kent Birkle, PAS-Times Editor 21067 Lowe Davis Rd. Covington, La. 70435
The Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc. is an organization of amateur astronomers representing the greater New Orleans area, southeastern Louisiana and adjacent parts of Mississippi. Our members come from many walks of life, and have a common interest in astronomy and observing the sky. The PAS aims to enhance the study and enjoyment of astronomy among our members, and to promote an understanding of astronomy in our local community.
Praesepe or M44 is an open star cluster about 500 light years from Earth and has ove 200 members that all have the same dirction and speed as the stars in the Hyades Cluster in Taurus.